THE  GHOST 
BREAKER, 


CHARLES  W.  GODDARD 
AND  PAUL  DICKF 


THE  GHOST  BREAKER 


Warren — don't  call  me  Highness!  .   .    .  my  name 
is  Maria  " 


GHOST  BREAKER 


A  NOVEL  BASED 
UPON  THE  PLAY 


By 

CHARLES  GODDARD 

AND 

PAUL  DICKEY 


HEARSTS  INTERNATIONAL  LIBRARY  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK  -  -  -          -  1915 


Copyright,  1915,  by 
HBARBT'S  INTERNATIONAL  LIBBABT  Co.,  INC. 


All  rights  reserved,  including  that  of  translation  into  the  foreign 
langvaget,  including  the  Scandinavian 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY    ...         i 

II.  THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  18 

III.  IN  THE  ROYAL  SUITE   ...       35 

IV.  AN  OATH  OF  ALLEGIANCE    .  .       47 
V.  EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING       .  .       59 

VI.  OVER  THE  SEA  AND  FAR  AWAY  .       74 

VII.  THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE  .       87 

VIII.  THE  NEW  PROFESSION  .        .  .105 

IX.  CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST        .  .125 

X.  A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE  .  .140 

XL  WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN  .  .     161 

XII.  WELCOME  TO  SEGURO  !  .       .  .     181 

XIII.  "  GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN  ! "     .  .     198 

XIV.  MORE  OBSTACLES  .       .        .  .217 
XV.  MYSTERIOUS  INFLUENCES      .  .     239 

XVI.  As  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD      .       .  .     250 

XVII.  CONCLUSION    ....  .     267 


2136511 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  Warren — don't  call  me  Highness !  .  .  . 
my  name  is  Maria  "       .        .      Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

It  was  Jarvis  of  Kentucky  .  ...  38 
— "  and  to  faithfully  fight  in  my  lady's 

cause " 56 

"  Just  a  minute.  How  did  that  lock  get 

broken?" 70 

"  I  am  known  from  Bowling  Green  to  the 

Golden   Gate,    as   Warren   the    Ghost 

Breaker" 106 

"Gentlemen — a  man "  .  .  .  .212 
"  So,  you  are  the  brave  American,  are 

you?" 214 

"  Ah,  senor,  in  all  my  experience  I 

have  never  seen   such  an  adventurous 

palm  .  .  .' 222 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Warren,  looking  for  an  honest 

man,  like  old  Socrates?"  .  .  .  232 
Rusty  caught  him  by  the  arm  .  .  .262 
His  next  weapon  was  a  ohair  .  .  .  270 
"Don't  shoot!" 278 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY 

DOWN   the   winding   roadway   came   the 
thunder  of  hoofbeats ! 

As  the  two  horsemen  approached 
through  the  deepening  twilight  a  sobbing  negro 
woman  peered  timidly  through  the  doorway  of 
the  old  Southern  manor  house.  There  was  a  call 
from  within. 

"  Put  out  this  light,  Mandy,"  were  the  words 
of  the  weak  voice.  "  Hurry,  Mandy.  Maybe  it's 
the  Marcums  coming  back." 

"  Yas,  Gunnel;  yassir."  She  obediently  re- 
treated, and  the  dim  light  within  was  suddenly  ex- 
tinguished. 

The  two  riders  turned  in  from  the  thorough- 
fare, speeding  past  the  half-swung  gate  up  the 
drive  toward  the  broad  portico.  The  foremost 


2  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

slid  from  his  saddle  before  his  horse  had  come 
to  a  stop. 

"  Hold  her,  Rusty ! "  And  then  he  leaped  up 
the  steps,  to  dash  into  the  dark  entry. 

"Who  is  it?    Stop!" 

There  was  no  weakness  of  spirit  in  the  tremu- 
lous tones  from  the  room  within. 

"  Dad !  dad !    I've  come !  " 

"  Oh,  my  boy !  You're  just  in  time,"  and  the 
speech  ended  in  a  sigh  which  sent  a  thrill  of 
horror  through  the  newcomer.  "Just  ...  in 
.  .  .  time!" 

"  Lawd  be  praised,  Marse  Warren,"  sobbed  the 
negress,  as  she  sank  to  her  knees  before  the 
table,  where  she  fumbled  with  the  lamp. 

"  Light  the  lamp  .  .  .  why,  it's  Mandy !  "  and 
the  young  man  ran  a  nervous  hand  across  his  fore- 
head as  the  wick  caught  the  flame.  "  Dad ! 
What's  the  trouble?  \Vhere's  mother?  Why 
were  the  lights  all  out?  " 

In  the  corner  of  the  room,  on  an  antique  "  set- 
tle," was  stretched  the  form  of  old  Colonel  Jarvis 
of  Meadow  Green. 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY  3 

"It's  the  end,  Warren.  I  stood  off  Yankee 
charges  and  artillery,  but  a  sneaking  hound  from 
the  hills  has  put  the  finish  on  it  all — and  sent  it 
in  a  bullet  through  my  back,  without  giving  me 
the  chance  to  fight  back,  as  the  Yanks  did." 

Warren  Jarvis  dropped  to  his  knees  beside  his 
father.  His  pleasant,  youthful  face  was  drawn 
to  mummy-like  wanness.  His  eyes  glowed  with 
curious  intensity,  as  they  devoured  the  beloved 
features  of  the  old  man.  The  rays  from  the  oil 
lamp  cast  a  melancholy  glow  over  the  furniture 
of  a  bygone  society,  in  this  characteristic  parlor 
of  an  old  Southern  mansion.  But  their  effect 
upon  the  ghastly  features  of  Colonel  Henderson 
Jarvis  presaged  only  too  well  the  tragedy  which 
was  to  come. 

The  aged  man  raised  a  weak  arm,  to  encircle 
the  shoulders  of  his  son.  His  eyes  closed  in  ex- 
haustion, and  for  a  full  moment  the  lips  moved 
without  the  emanation  of  a  word. 

Warren  Jarvis  turned  toward  the  panic-stricken 
Mandy. 

"Quick!     What  is  the  trouble?     Where  is 


4  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

mother?  Speak  up,  Mandy.  .  .  .  I've  come  all 
the  way  from  New  York  in  answer  to  father's 
telegram.  What's  the  trouble  ?  " 

Mandy  became  more  disconsolate,  and,  with 
the  hysterical  sorrow  of  a  Southern  family  serv- 
ant, the  more  incapable  of  expression. 

"  Warren  .  .  .  Warren,  my  boy ! "  were  the 
words  which  at  last  came  from  the  white  lips  of 
his  father.  "  I  am  going  to  leave  you  soon.  .  .  . 
I  kept  up  until  you  arrived,  for  I  must  give  the 
honor  of  the  family  into  your  keeping,  before  it 
is  all  over.  .  .  .  Are  you  prepared  to  take  it  up 
where  I  stand  now  ?  " 

The  young  man  nodded  He  beckoned  to  the 
servant  woman,  with  an  eloquent  pantomimic 
command,  to  bring  his  sire  a  drink.  The  girl  si- 
lently obeyed,  leaving  the  room  for  the  moment. 

"  Father,  I've  come  back  from  the  East  to  do 
anything,  everything.  Tell  me — what  happened, 
and  where  is  mother?  I  am  frantic!"  His 
shoulders  shook  as  though  from  a  chill.  His  face 
was  close  to  his  father's,  as  the  colonel's  gray 
eyes  opened  upon  him. 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY  5 

"  Your  mother  passed  away  last  night — it  was 
too  much  for  her  poor  weak,  aching  heart, 
Warren,"  and  his  voice  sank  again  to  a  whisper, 
as  he  added,  "  Your  first  duty  will  be  to  lay  us 
away  together,  and  then  to  avenge  this  double 
murder." 

Warren  Jarvis  lost  his  worldly-wise  self-con- 
trol, acquired  through  the  adventurous  years  since 
he  had  journeyed  forth  from  the  quaint  old  Ken- 
tucky home.  A  sob  broke  from  his  lips,  and  his 
face  sank  on  the  arm  of  the  old  aristocrat, — he 
was  instinctively  boyish  in  his  grief,  returning 
once  more  to  the  shelter  of  that  paternal  shoul- 
der. 

Mandy  had  returned  with  a  glass  of  stimulant, 
which  she  held  to  the  colonel's  lips.  The  draught 
refreshed  him  immensely.  He  gently  patted  the 
shoulders  of  his  son,  and  continued  with  firmer 
tones : 

"  There,  Warren  boy,  pull  yourself  together. 
The  doctor  will  be  along  in  his  buggy  soon.  He 
dressed  my  wound,  two  days  ago,  and  he  sat 
with  your  dear  mother  ever  since  she  received 


6  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

the  shock  of  the  shooting.  I  sent  the  Marlowe 
girls  back  to  their  house  just  an  hour  ago  to  rest, 
because  they  were  worn  out.  .  .  .  Everyone  has 
been  good  and  tried  to  help,  but  it  is  no  use.  .  .  . 
Leave  us  alone,  Mandy," 

The  woman  stepped  unsteadily  through  the 
door,  her  hands  covering  her  twitching  face. 
There  she  bumped  into  a  fat,  coal-black  darky,  he 
who  had  accompanied  the  son  on  the  long  ride. 
She  drew  him  into  the  shelter  of  the  corridor, 
leaving  father  and  son  together  for  the  final  con- 
fidences. 

"  But,  father,  it  was  all  so  sudden  ?  Are  you 
comfortable  now  ?  Where  is  your  wound  ?  " 

Warren  rose  more  upright  on  his  knees.  He 
now  observed  the  swathings  about  the  elder's 
breast,  beneath  the  crumpled  soft  shirt.  He 
caressed  the  shattered  frame  with  affectionate 
simplicity. 

"  I  must  speak  quickly,  Warren,  for  although 
I  suffer  no  more  pain,  Dr.  Grayson  told  me  the 
truth — my  strength  is  going  every  hour.  Your 
mother  had  been  in  poor  health,  and  I  had  rid- 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY  7 

den  down  to  the  village  to  see  the  doctor,  for 
a  tonic  for  her.  On  the  way  out  again,  I  passed 
Henley's  poolroom,  where  the  cheap  gamblers 
are  still  running  their  crooked  betting  on  the 
Louisville  and  Lexington  races.  Jim  Marcum 
crossed  from  the  front  of  the  saloon,  and  I  had 
to  rein  in  quickly  to  keep  from  running  him  down. 
He  looked  up  at  me,  with  his  hand  on  his  hip. 
'  Trying  the  same  old  trick  on  me  that  you  did 
with  my  brother  Ed  ?  '  he  called.  I  had  nothing 
to  say  to  Jim  Marcum — you  know,  Warren,  that 
old  feud  was  over  these  thirty  years,  as  far  as  I 
was  concerned.  I  looked  him  in  the  eye,  and  he 
dropped  his  gaze,  like  a  wolf  which  daren't  stare 
back  at  you.  Then  I  rode  on.  As  I  turned  the 
corner,  past  the  little  church,  I  heard  a  shot  and 
tumbled  forward  in  the  saddle." 

Warren's  hands  clenched  until  the  nails  cut  his 
palms. 

"  The  cowardly  hound !  "  he  muttered. 

"  Just  as  my  father  was  shot  by  Marcum's 
father,  right  after  the  War — in  the  back,  Warrea 
The  horse  knew  enough  to  stop,  and  I  rolled 


8  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

down  to  the  ground.  Dr.  Grayson  ran  down  the 
street,  carried  me  into  the  church  vestibule,  and 
dressed  my  back.  They  wanted  to  keep  me  in  the 
parson's  house — but  I  told  them  to  bring  me  on 
home,  for  I  wanted  to  be  near  your  mother.  It 
was  a  mistake  ...  a  grave  mistake.  For  when 
they  brought  me  back  in  the  doctor's  buggy  and 
called  her  to  the  portico,  she  fainted,  and  never 
regained  consciousness.  That's  all,  Warren.  The 
end  came  last  night  for  her — to-night  I  will  join 
her." 

He  opened  his  eyes  with  ghastly  intensity  of 
expression.  Then,  to  the  surprise  of  the  younger 
man,  he  half  raised  himself  on  his  elbow. 

"  Warren! "  and  the  tones  were  almost  shrill, 
"  you  must  get  Jim  Marcum  if  it's  the  last  act  of 
your  life.  He  broke  the  feud  law  when  he  killed 
a  woman,  as  he  did  with  the  death  of  your  mother. 
My  dying  command  is  that  you  end  this  old  fight 
between  our  families:  he  is  the  last  of  his  line, 
and  you  the  last  of  yours.  The  feud  began  nearly 
eighty  years  ago.  It  is  a  different  world  then  in 
that  old  Kentucky.  I  have  tried  to  live  upright, 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY  9 

God-fearing,  and  had  supposed  that  time  would 
efface  the  old  hatred.  At  least  I  ignored  it.  But 
Jim  Marcum  never  forgot  that  your  Uncle  War- 
ren had  killed  his  father  in  that  stand-up  battle 
in  the  old  tobacco  warehouse;  it  is  the  curse  of 
the  Blue  Grass  State,  this  feud  law.  But  you 
must  carry  out  the  vengeance,  Warren.  When 
you  scotch  that  snake,  there  will  be  no  more." 

"  Didn't  they  try  to  get  Marcum,  dad  ? " 
asked  Warren  slowly,  trying  to  realize  it  all. 

"  No.  He  disappeared — helped  by  some  of 
those  touts  and  gamblers.  They  say  he  has  gone 
to  the  mountains.  But  you  follow  him,  after  .  .  . 
after  I  .  .  ."  He  sank  back  again,  groaning. 
"  God  bless  you,  boy.  When  you  end  this  bitter 
debt,  you  will  have  done  everything  in  the  world 
I  ever  wanted, — what  a  fine  son  you  have  been 
through  all  the  years !  " 

Warren  rose  to  his  feet,  and  with  hands  clasped 
tensely  behind  him  walked  to  the  window.  He 
heard  a  sound  of  buggy  wheels  and  the  trotting 
of  a  horse;  it  neared  the  house. 

"  It  must  be  the  doctor,  dad.     I'm  glad  he  is 


io  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

here  again."  He  turned  about  to  look  at  the 
clear-cut  face.  He  was  horror-stricken :  the  eyes 
were  closed,  the  hand  had  dropped  limply,  and 
already  the  fine  firm  mouth  had  opened  weakly, 
with  a  piteous  weakness.  He  rushed  forward, 
dropping  again  by  the  side  of  the  couch. 

A  step  behind  him  did  not  interrupt  the  soft 
pleadings  of  the  tearful  voice. 

"  Dad,  dad !  Won't  you  speak  to  me  ?  You 
must  hold  out.  The  doctor  has  come.  Dad,  old 
daddie  mine.  Speak !  Speak !  " 

The  eyes  opened,  but  there  was  no  expression 
in  them.  The  mouth  closed  convulsively,  and  as 
he  leaned  close  he  heard  the  last  message :  "  God 
bless  you,  boy!  .  .  .  Take  .  .  .  care  ...  of 
.  .  .  yourself." 

Warren's  face  was  buried  on  the  bosom  as  it 
ceased  to  breathe.  A  kindly  touch  on  his  shoulder 
brought  him  to  a  knowledge  of  the  doctor's  pres- 
ence. 

"  It's  so  good  that  you  arrived  in  time,  War- 
ren," was  the  soft-voiced  comment.  "  Your 
father  passed  away  happy,  I  know — he  had  held 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY  n 

himself  to  this  life  by  a  marvelous  will-power 
until  you  came.  Steady  yourself  now." 

The  doctor  knelt  by  the  couch  and,  with  the 
manly  tenderness  of  an  old  family  friend,  crossed 
the  tired  patrician  hands  above  that  valiant  heart. 

Warren  Jarvis  answered  not.  He  walked  to- 
ward the  window  again.  He  peered  out  into  the 
great,  black,  miserable,  lonely  void  stretching 
away  toward  the  southeast.  In  those  distant  hills, 
beyond  his  vision  but  familiar  as  the  landmarks  of 
his  boyhood,  he  knew  the  cowardly  assassin  of  his 
parents  was  exulting  over  the  cruel  success. 

Not  a  tear  came  to  his  relief.  His  pleasant  face 
hardened  to  the  rigidity  of  a  stone  image.  The 
sinews  of  his  athletic  frame  thrilled  with  a  new 
emotion — the  feud  hatred  inherited  through  gen- 
erations of  Kentucky  fighters.  He  would  have 
gladly  given  his  own  life  for  the  sublime  pleasure 
of  throttling  with  his  bare  hands  the  scoundrel 
who  had  wiped  out  all  that  was  fine  and  sweet  in 
his  life. 

Behind  him  the  doctor  gave  whispered  orders 
to  Mandy  and  two  tearful  women  neighbors  who 


12  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

had  quietly  slipped  into  the  house.  Warren  did 
not  notice  them  in  his  abstraction;  they  respected 
his  suffering  by  leaving  the  room  without  a 
greeting. 

As  he  stood  there  the  soft  spring  breeze  flut- 
tered the  curtains  of  the  broad  parlor  windows, 
bearing  in  the  fragrance  of  the  vines  on  the  por- 
tico outside.  It  was  all  so  silent  and  different 
from  the  brilliant  social  life  he  had  left  behind 
in  New  York.  Warren's  whole  life  seemed  to 
flit  past  him,  as  he  stood  there  now,  with  the  im- 
personality of  a  kaleidoscope. 

He  remembered  the  early  years  on  this  beauti- 
ful Blue  Grass  estate  of  his  father's  .  .  .  the  ro- 
mantic boyhood  of  the  South,  enlivened  by  horse- 
back rides,  hunting  trips,  boating,  fishing — those 
elemental  country  sports  so  sadly  lacking  in  the 
life  of  the  city  youth,  ...  the  faithful,  admiring 
negro  servants  to  whom  young  "  Marse  Warren  " 
had  been  a  veritable  Sir  Galahad — the  flower  of 
the  neighborhood  chivalry.  Indeed,  in  this  por- 
tion, of  the  States  still  glows  the  tradition  of  the 
ancient  knighthood :  the  gallantry  to  women,  the 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY  13 

reverence  for  family  honor,  the  bravery  in  men, 
the  loyalty  to  neighborhood,  commonwealth,  and 
nation, — in  verity,  the  spirit  of  ideal  citizenship. 

Warren  saw  saw  once  more  the  gentle  face  of 
his  mother,  as  she  worked  in  her  old-fashioned 
garden  of  rosemary,  hollyhocks,  larkspur,  iris,  rue 
.  .  .  heard  the  soft  dialect  of  quaint  old  ladies 
gossiping  on  the  broad,  shaded  portico  .  .  .  lis- 
tened again  to  the  laughter  of  neighboring  judges, 
colonels,  majors — his  father's  old  cronies — as 
they  good-naturedly  wrangled  and  bantered  over 
the  battles  of  the  War,  the  merits  of  their  respec- 
tive thoroughbreds,  or  the  correct  manner  in 
which  to  concoct  that  nectarian  classic  of  the 
Southland,  the  mint  julep! 

To  Warren's  retrospection  came  the  vision  of 
his  departure  for  the  famous  college  in  the  East, 
the  joyful  vacation  times,  and  finally  his  decision 
to  seek  adventure  far,  far  to  the  south — in  Brazil, 
Guatemala,  Panama,  where  he  had  developed  his 
own  executive  caliber  as  a  commander  of  men, 
in  the  great  construction  work  on  the  Big  Ditch. 
.  .  .  Then  came  the  sorrowful  day  when  he  had 


I4  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

returned  from  his  travels,  to  behold  the  ravages 
of  time  on  his  mother's  aging  face  and  his  father's 
stooping  shoulders.  Even  the  servants  were 
changed,  and  it  had  been  to  keep  a  closer  bond 
with  the  dear  old  estate  that  he  had  taken  faith- 
ful Rusty  Snow  as  his  manservant  when  he  went 
on  to  New  York  again  to  pursue  his  profession. 

Warren's  mind  burrowed  in  the  memories  of 
the  feudism  of  the  countryside,  the  sole  blot  on  its 
simple  yet  aristocratic  modes.  He  remembered 
the  fragmentary  stories  of  the  ancient  Marcum- 
Jarvis  quarrel  .  .  .  this  had  cost  the  lives  of  men 
for  three  generations,  in  an  equity  of  vengeful 
settlement  based  strictly  on  the  Mosaic  law  of 
"  an  eye  for  an  eye — a  tooth  for  a  tooth."  The 
Marcum  family  fortunes  had  been  dissipated, 
those  of  the  Jarvis  clan  ascending — yet  still  the 
feud  continued,  until  the  men  of  both  families  had 
paid  for  the  bitterness  with  their  lives.  Now  his 
father  had  been  the  last  Jarvis  to  go — after  a  lull 
of  many  years. 

The  sweetness  of  the  old  memories  was  swept 
by  the  maelstrom  of  hate  which  surged  through 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY  15 

his  heart  As  a  boy  he  hardly  knew  the  meaning 
of  the  word — the  grim  looks  of  the  kinsmen,  the 
tear-stained  face  of  his  mother,  had  been  little 
explanation — little  had  been  said.  But  now  the 
iron  of  vengeance  had  entered  his  soul;  and  he 
turned  about  suddenly,  facing  the  body  of  the 
colonel. 

Advancing  toward  the  settle,  he  knelt  by  the 
body,  even  as  a  knight  of  old,  to  take  his  vows. 
He  raised  his  clenched  right  hand. 

"  Father !  I  swear  by  my  love  for  you  and  my 
mother  that  I  will  wipe  out  the  Marcums,  cost 
what  it  may.  I  will  devote  my  life  to  settling  the 
score  Jim  Marcum  has  made.  I  swear  it  to  you, 
father!" 

It  seemed  to  him  as  though  a  faint  smile  of 
approbation  flitted  across  the  face  despite  the  seal 
of  the  Great  Calm.  Even  as  he  knelt  there,  his 
quick  brain  began  to  lay  the  plans — and  then  .  .  . 
then  he  remembered  what  he  must  see  upstairs! 
His  brief  moments  in  the  old  home  had  been  so 
absorbed  by  the  dying  words  of  his  sire,  by  the 
engulfing  flame  of  hate  which  had  burned  away 


16  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

all  the  sweetness  of  the  environment,  that  he  had 
selfishly  forgotten  everything  but  his  own  grief. 

He  staggered  to  his  feet  and  walked  slowly 
from  the  room. 

Outside  the  door,  on  an  old-fashioned  chair  in 
the  long  corridor  running  from  portico  to  kitchen, 
he  found  faithful  Rusty,  sobbing  with  his  face  in 
his  hands. 

"  Oh,  Marse  Warren !    Oh,  Marse  Warren !  " 

"  Rusty,  call  Mandy,"  was  the  simple  answer. 

Rusty  hastened  to  obey.  The  woman  was  as- 
sisting the  two  neighbors  in  some  preparations 
on  the  floor  above.  She  came  down  the  stairs 
tremulously,  catching  his  outstretched  hand  and 
kissing  it  impetuously. 

"  Where  is  she,  Mandy  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  stifled 
voice. 

Mandy  spoke  not,  but  ascended  the  stairway, 
as  Warren  followed  with  bowed  head.  Each 
broad  step  seemed  steeper  than  the  one  below. 
At  last  he  raised  his  eyes  before  the  doorway  of 
his  parents'  bedroom.  Mandy  stepped  aside. 

Within,   on  a   little  mahogany  sewing-table, 


JARVIS  OF  KENTUCKY  17 

burned  a  dozen  candles  in  his  great-grandmother's 
Colonial  candelabra.  He  turned  unsteadily  to  the 
right,  and  saw  her! 

"O  mother,  mother!   .    .    ." 

That  was  all. 


II 

THE  BLIND  PURSUIT 

THE  sad  days  immediately  following  the 
double  funeral  were  so  filled  with  visits 
from    relatives    and    old    friends,    legal 
transactions  necessary  for  the  transfer  of  the  es- 
tate of  the  old  colonel,  a  successful  tobacco  factor 
in  his  time,  and  a  hundred  and  one  other  engross- 
ments, that  in  the  months  afterward  they  were 
hazy  as  an  unpleasant  dream. 

With  the  newly  acquired  calm  which  surprised 
him,  Warren  Jarvis  left  no  stone  unturned  to 
ascertain,  with  quiet  inquiries,  the  location  of 
Jim  Marcum. 

There  was  no  clew.  The  man  had  mounted  a 
horse  on  the  day  of  the  shooting,  to  disappear 
down  the  dusty  Kentucky  road,  leaving  the  vil- 
lage far  behind  and  ignoring  the  possible  escape 
by  railroad.  His  simplicity  was  cunning,  for  the 
it 


THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  19 

blue  hills  offered  more  avenues  of  disappearance 
than  the  iron  roadbed  of  the  local  transportation. 

Equally  cunning,  however,  was  his  determined 
pursuer.  Warren  Jarvis,  after  burying  his  par- 
ents, and  making  the  conventional  round  of  re- 
spectful ceremonies,  started  again  for  his  neg- 
lected business  in  New  York.  Here  he  planned 
to  adjust  his  affairs,  then  to  return  to  the  moun- 
tain country,  by  a  roundabout  route,  to  begin  his 
man-hunt,  incognito  and  unsuspected. 

"  I'll  cover  every  mountain  trail,  every  valley 
path  until  I  find  Jim  Marcum,"  he  confided  to 
Major  Selby,  his  father's  closest  friend,  as  they 
stood  on  the  train  platform  waiting  for  the  final 
minute  of  departure.  "  When  it  happens  I  will 
let  you  know,  Major.  Until  that  time,  good-by, 
and  God  bless  you." 

The  train  had  come,  and  unaccompanied  by 
Rusty  Snow  this  time,  Jarvis  clambered  up  the 
steps  to  wave  to  the  old  Kentuckian.  As  the 
major  turned  away,  he  stroked  his  snowy  mus- 
tache with  a  shrewd  twinkle  in  his  blue  eyes,  to 
soliloquize : 


20  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  I  calculate  the  boy  will  make  his  father  proud. 
The  old  feud  blood  runs  in  the  Jarvis  veins,  and 
even  the  North  can't  spoil  him.  I  wonder  why 
Rusty  didn't  go  along — that  darky  will  be  broken- 
hearted to  be  left  behind  on  the  old  place." 

But  Rusty  knew  very  well  why  he  had  been  left 
behind! 

And  with  all  his  jolly  laughter,  plump  com- 
placency, and  characteristic  African  simplicity, 
Rusty  Snow  possessed  an  inherent  faculty  of 
subtle  concentration  which  had  served  the  family 
of  Jarvis  since  the  days  when  he  had  been  a  slave 
pickanninny. 

A  week  or  more  he  spent  in  the  peaceful  South- 
ern hamlet  of  Meadow  Green,  imbibing  gin  and 
ginger  "  pop  "  in  the  saloons  frequented  by  those 
walking  bureaus  of  information,  the  negro  bar- 
bers. He  consorted  with  darky  jockeys  and 
horse-trainers — this  was  the  center  of  the  great 
thoroughbred  breeding  district — and  everywhere 
he  went,  with  glistening  smiles,  laughing  eyes,  and 
infectious  amiability,  he  bore  one  query  in  his 
mind.  Where  was  Jim  Marcum  ? 


THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  21 

The  query  seemed  unanswerable. 

Rusty  confided  his  failure  to  Major  Selby,  who 
in  turn  sent  a  letter  to  Warren  Jarvis  at  his  New 
York  club.  There  the  latter  was  hastening  his 
preparations  for  the  great  trek  through  the  moun- 
tains. Warren  had  closed  his  office,  where,  profit- 
ing by  his  experiences  in  South  and  Central 
America,  he  had  maintained  a  successful  export- 
ing agency :  all  his  affairs  were  in  hand,  and  that 
hand  closed.  All  his  outstanding  investments  had 
been  hypothecated,  with  shrewd  advantage.  At 
last  he  was  ready,  certain  that  should  he  lose  his 
life  in  the  vengeful  venture,  his  kinsfolk  would 
be  taken  care  of,  without  legal  complications :  with 
all  his  inherited  romanticism,  Jarvis  of  Kentucky 
was  a  man  of  astuteness. 

He  was  sitting  in  the  grill  of  his  club,  brooding 
over  a  solitary  glass,  unmindful  of  the  friendly 
chatter  of  the  members  about  him,  when  a  uni- 
formed page  brought  him  a  yellow  envelope.  He 
tore  open  the  telegram,  sensing  important  news. 
It  was  only  from  Meadow  Green  that  he  received 
his  club  mail.  And  it  was  from  Louisville  that  the 


22  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

message  came.    It  was  simple,  and  yet  it  left  him 
bewildered. 

"  WARREN  JARVIS, 

Export  Club,  N.  Y. 
Coming  with  Marcum.    Buy  supplies. 

RUSTY." 

At  first  Warren  smiled,  then  he  swore,  as  only  a 
chivalrous  Southron  can !  Why  should  Rusty  be 
coming  with  Marcum?  He  could  not  have  ar- 
rested or  imprisoned  him.  What  were  the  sup- 
plies? Evidently  this  was  some  attempt  at  code 
which  was  beyond  his  ability  to  guess. 

He  spent  the  night  and  the  next  day  in  a  per- 
plexed mood. 

A  wire  sent  to  Major  Selby,  inquiring  as  to 
the  whereabouts  of  the  negro,  brought  back  the 
simple  reply,  "  Missing — no  one  knows." 

Toward  evening,  after  much  perturbation, 
Warren  decided  upon  a  measure  of  preparedness 
for  whatever  might  happen.  He  had  given  up 
his  bachelor  quarters  on  Madison  Avenue  two 
mornings  previous,  in  expectation  of  the  long  trip 


THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  23 

through  Kentucky.  One  night  he  had  spent  at 
his  club.  Yet,  if  Marcum  were  coming  to  New 
York,  it  were  best  to  be  located  in  some  place 
where  he  could  cover  his  own  identity  without 
attracting  attention.  Such  a  place  would  naturally 
be  a  large  hotel.  Accordingly  he  registered  at 
the  Hotel  Belmont  under  an  alias.  This  was 
close  to  the  Grand  Central  Station — handy  for  a 
quick  departure  from  town,  if  such  were  neces- 
sary. 

Jarvis  packed  two  suitcases  with  his  modest 
needs  for  the  Southern  trip,  and  donned  his  even- 
ing clothes  for  dinner  at  the  club.  Several  tele- 
phone calls  convinced  him  that  Rusty  had  not 
made  an  appearance  as  yet. 

When  he  reached  the  club,  the  big  building  was 
swarming  with  men  of  his  acquaintance,  yet  he 
seemed  curiously  apart  from  them.  Since  his 
father's  murder  and  the  death  of  his  mother,  he 
had  proceeded  under  what  engineers  call  "  forced 
draught."  His  nerves,  like  iron,  had  been  drawn 
tight — to  the  snapping  point:  only  some  great 
climax  of  relief  would  disentangle  the  tense  feel- 


24  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

ings  which  he  now  controlled  with  external  calm- 
ness, and  sub-surface  tremors  which  warned  him 
of  an  approaching  catastrophe. 

For  an  hour  he  sat  brooding  in  the  quiet  library 
of  the  club.  He  had  tried  to  eat;  but  all  the 
artistry  of  the  famous  French  chef  could  not  con- 
jure up  an  appetite.  Men  passed  by  him,  glancing 
curiously  at  the  usually  jovial  companion;  the 
twisted,  drawn  expression  surprised  them.  He 
tried  to  read  a  magazine;  the  printed  lines  "  pied  " 
themselves  before  his  twitching  eyes,  blurring  into 
a  vision  of  that  last  bitter  scene  in  the  room  with 
his  dying  father.  And  even  the  vision  had  faded 
now,  to  dissolve  into  one  dull  mass  of  color — a 
wavering,  throbbing  field  of  red! 

"  Mr.  Warren  Jarvis !    Mr.  Warren  Jarvis !  " 

The  page  stood  by  the  library  door,  calling.  He 
sprang  to  his  feet,  brought  back  to  a  consciousness 
of  the  present  with  galvanic  suddenness.  He 
turned,  bewildered  for  an  instant,  and  then 
walked  slowly  toward  the  boy. 

"What  is  it?"  he  asked. 


THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  25 

"  A  man  wants  to  see  you,  sir,  down  at  the 
front  door.  A  colored  man.  .  .  ." 

Jarvis  waited  for  no  more.  He  hurried  down 
the  oaken  stairway,  out  through  the  vestibule,  and 
hatless,  breathless — relieved  to  a  great  extent 
from  his  tension — he  caught  the  hand  of  faithful 
Rusty  Snow. 

"  Lawd  be  praised !"  murmured  that  jubilant 
henchman.  "  I  done  thought  he  might  beat  me 
to  it!" 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Rusty  ?  Why  didn't  you 
come  inside  ?  " 

"  Dat  cop  at  de  door  wouldn't  let  no  darky 
come  in.  I  want  to  talk  to  you  right  away,  Marse 
Warren.  Right  away  quick." 

Jarvis  turned  about,  with  a  direction  to  await 
him. 

He  hurried  to  the  coat-room,  caught  up  his 
light  overcoat  and  hat,  and  rushed  out  through 
the  door.  Rusty  helped  him  into  the  garment, 
with  fingers  tremulous  with  joy  at  the  renewal  of 
this  familiar  and  loving  task. 

"  Come,  we'll  go  down  the  side  street.     I've 


26  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

given  up  my  apartment,  and  there's  no  place  to 
talk  but  the  sidewalk.  What  did  your  telegram 
mean,  Rusty?" 

"  Well,  sah,  jest  what  it  said.  I  done  followed 
dat  man  all  de  way  from  Meadow  Green  to  de 
Manhattan  Hotel,  dat's  what  it  mean." 

Jarvis  stopped  and,  with  eyes  dilating,  looked 
Rusty  full  in  the  face. 

"  Jim  Marcum  in  New  York  ?  What  can  he  be 
doing  here?  " 

Rusty  chuckled. 

"  Me — oh — my,  boss,  but  dat's  jest  what  I 
thought  at  fust.  But  now  I  knows.  I  spent  all 
my  time  an'  all  de  money  I  could  beg  offen  de 
major  tryin'  to  snoop  aromr  dem  gin-mills  down 
home  to  1'arn.  An'  it  wasn't  ontel  yestiddy  after- 
noon dat  I  seen  dis  yere  Marcum  come  galloping 
down  on  hossback,  wid  some  poh  white  trash 
moonshiner  ridin'  wid  'im.  Dey  goes  right  to  de 
depoh  an'  jumps  offen  de  hosses.  I  wuz  in  Eph 
Black's  saloon,  but  dar  ain't  nuffin  missin'  me.  I 
walks  over  to  de  station  agent's  winder  an'  I 
sees  dis  Marcum  wid  a  roll  o'  bills  dat  would 


THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  27 

choke  a  hoss.  He  buys  a  ticket,  an'  den  he  goes 
down  de  patform.  I  axes  Hen  Barrows,  de  agent, 
where  dat  man  goin'.  He  says  Noo  York.  Den 
I  is  satisfied.  I  jest  walks  down  de  track  to  de 
junction,  by  de  water  tank." 

"Hurry  up,  Rusty.  What  about  Marcum?" 
was  Warren's  impatient  interjection. 

"  Wall,  I  sees  dis  yere  man  with  'im  watchin' 
de  platform — an'  wen  de  train  pull  in,  inter  it 
Marcum  goes.  She  alluz  slows  up  at  de  sidin' — 
cause  dere's  a  junction,  an'  so  I  jumps  'er,  at 
de  hind  platform.  Well,  Marse  Warren,  dat  man 
he's  on  de  train.  It's  only  day  coaches  ontel  we 
gets  to  Lueyville,  an'  I ? walks  from  de  Jim  Crow 
car  through  de  train  just  onct.  Dis  Marcum  he 
don't  recollect  me, — I'm  just  a  darky  to  him. 
But  I  sees  'im  a-workin'  in  his  seat  wid  som'pin 
dat  shows  he  recollects  you,  sah." 

"  What  was  that,  Rusty  ?  " 

"  He  was  a-oilin'  a  gun — an'  you  know  who 
dat  gun  is  for.  He'll  be  a-lookin'  for  you,  Marse 
Warren." 


28  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  What  did  you  do  then  ?  How  did  you  man- 
age to  stay  on  the  train?  " 

"  Oh,  I  jest  stuck  dere,  Marse  Warren.  Dis 
nigger  has  had  enough  'sperience  in  dis  world  to 
know  dat  he  spends  all  he  has  w'en  he  has  it. 
So  de  day  you  left  I  takes  de  money  you  gives 
me  for  a  railroad  ticket,  an'  buys  one  an'  puts  it 
inside  my  pocket.  So,  I  was  ready  for  dis  Mar- 
cum.  I  follows  'im  to  Lueyville,  whar  I  telegram 
to  you,  and  keeps  right  on  'is  trail  w'en  he 
changes  cars  for  Cincinnati.  He  keeps  on  comin' 
to  Noo  York,  an'  I  am  in  de  day  coach  all  dat 
time.  Den  I  follows  right  to  de  Manhattan 
Hotel.  He  ain't  nebber  been  in  Noo  York  be- 
foh,  because  he  walks  all  de  way  to  de  hotel  in- 
stid  o'  takin'  a  taxicab.  Dat  man  ain't  no 
quality!" 

Warren  was  lost  in  thought.  He  stopped  at 
the  next  corner. 

"  Listen,  Rusty.  You  did  good  work.  I 
wanted  to  have  you  find  him,  and  instead  he  came 
right  to  me.  Now,  we  must  end  this  whole  thing 
to-night."  For  an  instant  the  Kentuckian  was 


THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  29 

nonplused,  and  instinctively  turned  to  the  old 
family  servant  with  that  curious  trust  which  the 
native  Southerner  instinctively  places  in  the 
"  family "  negro.  "  What  shall  I  do  now, 
Rusty  ?  " 

Rusty's  usually  big  eyes  narrowed  to  slits  in 
which  the  whites  were  hardly  visible. 
.  "  Marse  Warren,  jest  wait  for  dat  man.  He's 
here,  you  knows  it,  for  your  life.  Ef  you  cain't 
git  him,  /  can.  I  got  mah  razor  an'  dat's  a  better 
weepon  dan  any  ole  gun.  You  jest  wait — an'  let 
me  do  de  rest." 

Warren  turned  and  started  back  toward  the 
club. 

"I'll  be  waiting  at  the  Export  Club,  Rusty.  If 
he  hunts  up  my  address  on  Madison  Avenue,  the 
hall  boy  will  send  him  there.  If  he  wants  to  see 
me,  he  already  has  my  address — and  everyone  in 
Meadow  Green  knows  the  club  as  my  address. 
Now,  you  go  up  to  the  rooms  I  have  taken  in 
the  Belmont  Hotel.  The  room  number  is  417 — 
you  just  wait  there  until  you  hear  from  me. 
What  did  you  mean  by  '  supplies '  in  that  tele- 
gram, Rusty? " 


30  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

The  darky  chuckled. 

"  Lavvsee,  Marse  Warren,  I  knows  dat  you  is 
a  reg'lar  Noo  Yorker  by  dis  time  and  don't  carry 
de  supplies  of  a  gentlemen.  I  mean  a  -38-caliber ! 
Has  you  got  one  ?  " 

Warren  smiled  for  the  first  time  since  their 
surprising  meeting. 

"  No,  I  guess  I  have  become  a  victim  of  New 
York.  The  worst  weapon  I  have  on  me,  Rusty,  is 
a  fountain  pen — and  I'm  afraid  Jim  Marcum 
couldn't  read  the  ammunition !  " 

Rusty  looked  slyly  about  him.  They  were  in 
a  dark  spot  on  Fifth  Avenue,  the  shop  fronts  de- 
serted and  not  a  pedestrian  within  a  block.  The 
darky  slipped  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  and  sur- 
reptitiously handed  his  master  a  heavy,  portentous 
automatic  which  would  have  sent  joy  into  the 
heart  of  a  Texas  Ranger.  There  was  a  vibration 
of  honest  pride  in  his  voice  as  he  explained : 

"  Dere,  Marse  Warren.  I  went  widout  po'k 
chops  an'  chicken  all  de  way  to  Noo  York  jest  to 
lay  in  supplies  while  I  was  waitin'  betwixt  trains 
at  Lueyville !  I  'lowed  you  all  'd  be  too  wrapped 


THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  31 

up  in  yoh  troubles  ter  bother  about  dis,  an'  I 
recomembered  dis  here  Noo  York  Sullivan  Law 
w'ich  makes  it  a  crime  fer  a  decent  citerzen  ter 
carry  a  gun,  so  dat  the  burglars  kin  work  in 
peace.  Take  it,  Marse  Warren,  an'  plant  every 
seed  in  de  right  place !  " 

The  tears  came  into  the  eyes  of  the  Kentuck- 
ian. 

"  Rusty,  you're  a  jewel !  " 

"  Yassir,  in  a  ebony  settin' !  But,  now,  please 
git  back  to  dat  club  place,  an'  wait  fer  Jim  Mar- 
cum.  Dat  man's  mind  was  on  his  bizness  when 
I  seen  him  in  de  smokin'  cyar,  an'  he  ain't  thinkin' 
of  nothin'  else !  " 

They  strolled  down  toward  the  club  again. 
Warren  gave  a  few  parting  directions  and  handed 
Rusty  a  roll  of  bills  for  emergency. 

"  Remember,  Rusty,  when  you  hear  from  me 
by  any  message  at  all,  you're  to  come  at  once, — 
I'll  just  mention  my  first  name.  I'm  registered  at 
the  Belmont  as  John  Kelly  of  New  Orleans — I 
couldn't  hide  my  Southern  accent.  Tell  them 
you're  my  valet,  and  show  the  key — I  can  trust 


32  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

you  to  get  up  to  the  room.  If  I  call  for  you,  pay 
the  bill  from  that  change,  and  don't  let  the  grass 
grow  under  those  number  twelves !  " 

Rusty  smirked  happily. 

"  Hallelujah,  Marse  Warren,  you'se  jokin' 
agin — de  fightin'  blood  of  de  Jarvises  is  bilin' — 
I  knows  de  signs.  Why,  Marse  Warren,  I  recol- 
lects yoh  father  when  .  .  ." 

But  his  master's  face  changed. 

"  Not  now,  Rusty.  I'm  thinking  too  much 
about  my  father.  No  more  talk  for  either  of  us. 
Just  action." 

He  turned  into  the  side  street  toward  the  Ex- 
port Club.  Rusty — fresh  from  Kentucky  psy- 
chology-— doffed  his  cap  and  disappeared  as  War- 
ren entered  the  Grecian  portal. 

Inside  the  clubhouse  he  found  a  letter  await- 
ing him.  It  was  scrawled  in  the  bold,  ungram- 
mared  style  which  might  have  been  expected.  He 
read  it  standing  tensely  by  the  doorway,  as  dozens 
of  men  walked  in  and  out,  little  dreaming  of  the 
tragedy  attached  to  that  casual  fragment  of  white 
note-paper.  It  was  written  on  the  stationery  of 


THE  BLIND  PURSUIT  33 

the  Hotel  Manhattan — diagonally  across  the 
street  from  the  hostelry  where  Warren  had  in- 
advertently registered  for  his  brief  stay  in  the 
city. 

He  read  the  words  again  and  again. 

"  DEAR  JARVIS  ;  export  Club,  new  York. 

am  visiting  in  New  York  and  would  like  to 
see  you  and  call  off  our  kwarrel  youre  fathers 
death  was  misunderstandin  and  were  last  of  our 
families  will  be  at  Above  hotel  all  evenin  and 
tomorrow  come  Around  when  you  get  chance  and 
shake  hands  i  Will  prove  I  aint  meant  no  harm. 
Friend  JIM  MARCUM." 

The  Kentuckian  crumpled  the  note  in  his  hand, 
and  then  walked  toward  the  fireplace  of  the  grill. 
It  had  been  weeks  since  any  logs  had  been  burned 
there,  but  the  flakes  of  soot  still  clung  to  the 
stone  casement.  Warren  struck  a  match,  and  a 
curious  smile  illumined  his  face  as  he  ignited  the 
paper,  holding  its  flaming  fabric  between  his  fin- 
gers until  the  last  half -inch  had  burned.  He 
dropped  the  tiny  fragment  after  lighting  his 
cigar  with  its  flame. 


34  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

One  of  his  friends,  a  Brazilian  coffee  merchant, 
adressed  him  in  the  native  tongue,  which  Warren 
spoke  as  fluently  as  English. 

"  Ah,  senor,  you  care  not  for  your  letter?  " 
"  Oh,  it's  just  a  little  invitation  to  a  party  to- 
night," laughed  Jarvis  of  Kentucky.  "  If  anyone 
found  it  on  my  person,  he  might  think  I  kept  late 
hours  and  associated  with  bad  company.  Let  us 
have  a  drink  to  our  friendship  in  the  club,  for  I 
may  take  a  long  journey  to-night,  and  never  see 
you  again ! " 


Ill 

IN  THE  ROYAL  SUITE 

A  BEAUTIFUL  young  woman  stirred  un- 
easily in  the  early  slumber  of  the  evening. 
Eleven  floors  below  her,  in  the  foyer  of 
the  Hotel  Manhattan,  the  after-theater  crowd  of 
visitors  thronged  and  buzzed  happily.     But  the 
girl,  after  an  unusual  day  of  anxiety  in  a  strange 
land,  was  ill  at  ease,  with  fitful  dreams. 

The  Paris  clock  of  her  Highness  delicately 
struck  two  musical  notes  upon  the  chimes,  to  indi- 
cate the  half-hour;  at  the  same  instant,  as  though 
by  echo  and  vehement  confirmation,  two  revolver 
shots  resounded  in  the  corridor. 

The  girl  shuddered  as  she  opened  her  large 
dark  eyes,  sitting  bolt  upright  in  bed.  She  heard 
a  slamming  of  doors,  a  growing  hubbub  in  the 
usually  decorous  hallway  outside,  and  her  fem- 
inine curiosity  almost  conquered  the  artistocratic 

35 


36  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

reserve,  to  impel  her  to  rise  and  discover  the 
origin  of  the  hubbub. 

She  was  spared  the  trouble,  for  suddenly  the 
door  of  her  boudoir  received  a  vigorous  thump. 
The  lock  crashed  and  it  swung  open,  admitting  the 
rays  of  a  red  electric  lamp  in  the  corridor  out- 
side. The  portal  swung  shut  with  even  greater 
promptitude,  as  a  dark  body  leaped  over  the 
threshold. 

"  Madre  de  Dios! "  she  screamed.  Then,  after 
a  gasp,  "  Who's  there !  " 

The  intruder  backed  against  the  door,  working 
with  the  top  bolt,  which  was  still  intact.  She 
could  see  the  vague  outline  by  the  dim  glow  of 
the  moonlight  which  streamed  into  her  room. 

Then,  as  she  seemed  preparing  for  another  cry, 
he  turned  toward  her. 

"  Ssssh !  Don't  make  any  noise,"  he  whispered 
vibrantly,  audaciously. 

The  girl  slipped  from  her  bed  and  drew  a 
flimsy  dressing-gown  about  her. 

"What  do  you  want?" 

"Silence!" 


IN  THE  ROYAL  SUITE  37 

She  had  reached  the  lamp  on  the  small  boudoir 
table  near  the  bed.  She  switched  on  the  electric 
light.  They  stared  at  each  other  wide-eyed — but 
stirred  by  different  feelings.  Hers  was  the  fright 
of  a  woman  finding  herself  in  the  power  of  a 
strange  and  desperate  man;  his  the  battling  alert- 
ness of  a  man  fighting  for  his  own  life  against 
odds. 

It  was  Jarvis  of  Kentucky! 

Despite  his  immaculate  evening  clothes,  the 
blanched  face,  drawn  mouth,  and  the  revolver  in 
his  hand  made  him  appear  to  her  as  the  per- 
sonification of  that  vague  terror  of  the  unfamiliar 
dark  which  all  women  and  children  know  so  well. 
He  crouched  there,  reading  the  character  in  her 
haughtily  tossed  head  and  imperious  eyes.  The 
details  of  her  beauty  he  ignored,  rememebring 
only  three  important  facts :  "  She  is  young,  she 
is  frightened  but  has  not  lost  control  of  herself." 
He  reached  forward  and  touched  the  switch  of 
the  lamp.  Again  the  moon  was  the  sole  illumina- 
tion of  the  room ! 

A  voice  outside  in  the  corridor  came  to  them. 


38  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"What's  the  row?" 

"  Somebody's  shooting  up  the  hotel !  "  was  the 
reply,  from  another  throat. 

"  Not  a  sound  ...  do  you  understand  ? " 
whispered  Jarvis,  as  he  backed  toward  the  door 
again. 

"  What  right.  .  .  ?  "  she  began. 

"Quiet!" 

The  voices  in  the  corridor  were  closer  now. 

"  Where'd  he  go  ?    Look  on  the  fire-escape." 

"  No  use — he's  on  this  floor,  I  tell  you." 

The  girl  advanced  toward  him,  her  own  spirit 
asserting  itself,  as  she  realized  that  help  was 
within  calling  distance.  Yet  she  did  not  call ! 

"What  is  it?  What  do  you  want  ?  What  have 
you  done  ?  " 

Warren  slipped  the  revolver  into  his  pocket  to 
reassure  her. 

"  It's  all  right  now.  I'm  not  going  to  harm 
you,  if  you  will  just  keep  quiet.  Is  that  clear  to 
you?" 

"  Is  it  money  you  want  ?  All  the  money  I  have 
5s  on  that  dressing-table.  Take  it  and  go." 


//  was  Jarvis  of  Kentucky 


IN  THE  ROYAL  SUITE  39 

He  shook  his  head,  now  observing  the  wealth  of 
hair,  the  healthy,  aristocratic  poise  of  shoulders 
and  arms,  and  the  depths  of  her  eyes. 

"  I'm  not  a  burglar.    I  don't  want  your  money." 

"Well,  then,  what  do  you  want?"  She  was 
beginning  to  be  impatient. 

There  was  a  sound  of  rapid  steps  down  the 
corridor.  Jarvis  sprang  toward  the  door,  his 
eyes  still  intent  on  hers. 

"  Listen  .  .  .  they're  coming !  .  .  .  They  mustn't 
search  this  room — do  you  understand — you  must 
put  them  off."  He  assured  himself  that  the  upper 
bolt  was  intact  and  shot  tightly.  "  I'm  not  what 
you  think  I  am.  ...  Is  there  no  way  out  that 
way,  through  the  door  over  there  behind  you  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  that  is  my  maid's  room." 

"  The  fire-escape — where  is  that?  " 

"  In  the  hall  opposite." 

Jarvis  snapped  a  finger,  angry  at  his  own  mis- 
take. 

"  I  thought  that  red  meant  it  was  in  this  room. 
Oh,  hell !  .  .  .  I  beg  your  pardon !  " 


40  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

A  faint  smile  turned  up  the  corner  of  the  red 
lips,  and  she  shrugged  her  shoulders  ever  so 
lightly. 

"Well,  you  know  where  it  is  now;  why  don't 
you  go  ?  " 

Jarvis  shook  his  head  with  determination:  it 
was  evident  that  this  surprised  and  surprising 
young  person  would  be  amenable  to  reason — he 
had  many  logical  reasons  at  his  command. 

"  I  can't  go  that  way — they'll  be  waiting  in  the 
hall,"  he  declared,  as  he  studied  the  windows  and 
portals.  "  The  red  light  in  the  corridor  fooled  me 
— I  thought  the  fire-escape  would  get  me  to  the 
floor  below,  where  I  could  take  an  elevator  down 
during  the  hubbub.  There  they  come  again." 

As  the  odd  pair  stood,  with  bated  breath,  quick 
steps  and  a  running  fire  of  conversation  could  be 
heard  in  the  hall.  It  was  evident  that  the  chase 
was  getting  warm. 

The  girl  studied  the  pose  of  her  curious  visitor 
— it  was  not  the  cringing  attitude  of  a  criminal. 
In  the  lines  of  his  well-built  figure  there  was  the 
unmistakable  grace  of  a  gentleman  to  the  manor 


IN  THE  ROYAL  SUITE  41 

born — the  fearless  confidence,  despite  his  predica- 
ment, of  a  man  confident  of  his  own  justification. 

She  was  puzzled — her  curiosity  gradually  over- 
coming her  outraged  feelings  and  her  natural  re- 
sentment against  his  assured  usurpation  of  the 
situation. 

This  was  a  new  experience  for  the  lady  of  the 
lacy  filaments  and  regal  poise;  yet  it  was  far  from 
unpleasant  to  meet  such  calm  masculinity.  She 
switched  on  the  light  once  more,  to  feel  a  sur- 
prising satisfaction  in  the  impersonal,  unabashed 
honesty  of  those  steady  blue  eyes. 

Jarvis  became  conscious  of  a  twinge  in  his 
hand,  and  looking  down  at  his  left  hand,  observed 
a  little  rivulet  of  blood  dripping  down  to  his  fin- 
ger-tips. He  quickly  drew  his  handkerchief  from 
his  pocket,  as  though  to  cover  the  wound  before 
she  saw  it.  The  action  and  its  motive  did  not 
escape  the  observant  dark  eyes.  Her  sex  asserted 
itself;  she  advanced,  nervous  once  more. 

"  You  are  wounded  ?  What  has  really  hap- 
pened ?  You  must  dress  that  hand  .  .  ." 

"  I  almost  stopped  one  of  the  bullets — that's 


42  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

all.  You  see  it  was  not  one-sided.  But  I  am 
afraid  it  will  be,  if  they  get  me  now.  I  don't 

see  how  the  devil "  here  he  ran  to  the  shaded 

window  to  peer  at  the  twinkling  street  lamps  far 
below, "  Oh,  damn !  " 

The  girl's  manner  froze  again.  She  stepped 
back  instinctively;  and  yet  that  bandaged  hand 
compelled  her  eyes.  She  spoke  slowly. 

"  You  have  evidently  shot  someone,  and  are 
making  me  shield  you  from  justice." 

Warren  Jarvis  shook  his  head,  with  that 
straightforward  look  which  was  so  convincing. 

"Not  from  justice,  but  from  the  law?" 

"  I  thought  they  were  the  same." 

His  smile  was  bitter,  as  he  retorted :  "  No,  not 
always.  There  would  be  no  justice  for  me  at  the 
hands  of  the  law :  justice  was  not  accomplished  by 
the  law  in  all  these  years." 

She  dropped  a  white  hand  to  the  table  by  which 
she  stood. 

"  Well,  that  is  not  for  me  to  decide.  I  must 
only  .  .  ." 

"  You  must  only  listen — you  shall  decide.  At 


IN  THE  ROYAL  SUITE  43 

least  you  shall  listen,  in  order  that  you  may  for- 
give my  intrusion,  my  selfishness  in  compromising 
you  as  I  have  done."  He  hesitated,  and  for  the 
first  time  color  came  into  the  drawn  cheeks;  a 
softening  echo  was  observable  in  her  own.  "  If 
you  find  me  guilty,  when  I  tell  you,  I'll — well — 
I'll  take  that  door  or  anything  you  say." 

"  Your  presumption  is  ridiculous,"  were  her 
words,  and  yet  she  did  not  call  for  assistance. 
Jarvis  realized  that  he  had  at  least  won  a  foot- 
hold for  his  plea.  And  he  had  not  given  up 
his  dogged  hope. 

"  I  wouldn't  call  it  ridiculous — a  man  has  a 
right  to  argue  for  his  life." 

"  But,"  she  parried,  "  could  any  decision  be 
more  unjust  than  mine  must  be,  when  delivered 
at  the  point  of  a  pistol  ?  " 

Jarvis  took  the  challenge.  He  laid  the  weapon 
upon  the  dressing-table  by  her  side  and  crossed 
the  room,  leaving  her  between  himself  and  the 
door. 

"  Now,  my  dear  lady,  there's  nothing  to  pre- 
vent you  from  covering  me,  calling  for  help,  and 


44  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

solving  the  riddle  as  you  please.  After  all,  what 
does  it  matter,  whether  the  end  comes  to-day  or 
to-morrow,  for  it  would  be  impossible  to  elude 
the  police.  You  don't  understand,  I  know — but 
I  am  not  flying  from  justice:  it  was  a  case  of 
shoot  or  be  shot.  You  will  notice  that  only  one 
cartridge  in  that  revolver  has  been  used.  But, 
listen — they're  on  the  right  trail  at  last." 

He  noiselessly  crossed  to  the  door  and  listened 
to  the  renewed  excitement  without.  There  was 
a  triple  knock,  and  the  voice  of  a  man,  evidently 
of  authority,  rang  out. 

"  Open  up  here.  Is  there  anybody  in  here  ? 
Open,  I  tell  you." 

Jarvis  turned  toward  the  girl,  whose  face  re- 
flected a  dozen  curious  emotions  as  she  watched 
him.  He  made  his  last  appeal. 

"  It's  up  to  you  to  do  with  me  as  you  like,"  he 
murmured. 

Her  mind  was  made  up  quickly,  and  she  pointed 
toward  a  door  to  the  left — it  led  to  her  bath. 
Jarvis  disappeared  behind  its  shelter.  At  the  same 
instant  the  door  of  the  maid's  room  opened,  and 


IN  THE  ROYAL  SUITE  45 

a  chic  little  servant  ran  out  chattering,  clinging 
to  her  mistress'  arm  for  protection. 

"  Be  silent,"  was  the  cool  command.  The 
knocking  continued,  with  more  voices  joining  in 
the  exhortations.  The  girl  pointed  to  the  door, 
and  the  silent  command  was  obeyed.  Trembling 
like  an  aspen,  the  little  maid  opened  it,  and  the 
burly  form  of  a  house  detective  appeared  at  the 
entrance. 

"Are  you  all  right  in  here?"  he  asked,  and 
then  observing  the  two  white-robed  figures  he 
doffed  the  conventional  derby  hat  without  which 
no  professional  hotel  detective  would  seem  nat- 
ural. "  I  beg  your  pardon,  ma'am.  I  just  came 
to  see  if  you  had  had  any  trouble." 

"No,"  replied  the  mistress  calmly.  "What 
is  the  matter  ?  " 

"  Mighty  sorry  to  trouble  you,  but  we're  look- 
ing for  a  party  and  we  ain't  goin'  to  stop  till 
we  find  him.  We  just  thought  he  might  have  beat 
it  into  this  room  for  a  getaway.  If  you  want 
anything,  just  call  us,  for  we'll  be  up  and  down 
these  halls  all  night  now." 


46  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

As  he  shut  the  door,  the  unusual  young  woman 
waved  toward  it  once  more. 

"  Lock  it  well,  Nita,"  she  said  in  Spanish. 
"  Control  yourself,  child.  You  have  a  chill.  Go 
to  bed  again.  I  will  not  want  you  again  until  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning." 

As  Nita  retired  she  hesitated  before  her  door- 
way. Her  sharp  black  eyes  caught  the  glint  of  the 
bulky  revolver  upon  the  library  table.  Those 
same  black  eyes  dilated,  her  lips  moved  as  though 
for  another  frightened  exclamation,  but  all  she 
said  was :  "  Thank  you,  madame !  I  will  not 
bother  you  again  until  six  o'clock.  Good-night, 
madame !  " 

Then  she  closed  her  door. 

Nita  was  as  discreet  as  she  was  faithful,  in  the 
service  of  her  beloved  madame.  And  she  was  es- 
sentially Spanish  in  her  appreciative  grasp  of  a 
romantic  situation. 


IV 
AN  OATH  OF  ALLEGIANCE 

THE  bathroom  door  opened  slowly,  with  the 
slightest  perceptible  knock. 

"May  I  come  in?"  was  the  low  and 
meek  inquiry. 

"  You  may,  and  then  you  may  go  out  as  soon 
as  possible,"  was  the  resolute  response. 

Warren's  countenance  was  smiling  again,  and 
the  smile  was  infectious.  So  curious  had  been  this 
burglarizing  method  of  escape,  so  unusual  the  im- 
perturbable girl  who  had  assisted  him  against  all 
conventional  expectations,  that  the  horror  of  the 
last  half-hour  was  partially  dissipated.  When  a 
man  meets  a  great  crisis  of  his  life  and  over- 
comes it,  there  is  a  queer  relaxation  of  strained 
nerves, — with  a  woman  the  result  would  be  hys- 
teria; with  a  man  of  Warren  Jarvis'  type  it  was 
a  self-surprising  amiability  and  calmness. 

47 


48  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Would  you  mind  bolting  the  door  again  ? 
He  might  return.  And  thank  you  very  much  for 
delaying  the  death  sentence — now  I  can  explain." 

The  girl  glided  to  the  door  and  tested  the  lock. 
It  was  secure,  and  she  turned  about  to  return 
that  infectious  smile  of  the  eyes,  albeit  grudgingly. 

Warren,  finally  realizing  that  he  was  weak 
from  strain,  and  aching  in  every  muscle  from  the 
ordeal  of  the  past  twenty-four  hours,  looked  ap- 
pealing at  the  comfortable  armchair. 

"May  I  sit  down  for  just  a  minute?"  he 
pleaded.  "  I  have  not  slept  since  the  night  before 
last.  I  have  not  rested  for  a  fortnight." 

The  girl  nodded.  He  relaxed,  and  dropped  into 
a  blessed  position  of  comfort.  He  buried  his  face 
ir  his  hands — how  many  times  had  he  struck  this 
same  atitude  since  the  bitter  days  at  Meadow 
Green,  without  realizing  the  repetition ! 

For  two  minutes  or  an  hour  he  sat  there — he 
knew  not  which.  His  companion,  with  sudden 
renewal  of  consciousness  of  the  deshabille  of  her 
dressing-gown,  retreated  to  the  corner  of  the  brass 
bed.  She  sat  down,  to  scrutinize  the  better  this 


AN  OATH  OF  ALLEGIANCE         49 

strange  intruder.  The  moonlight  which  fell  in 
pale  green  bars  across  the  Bokhara  beneath  her 
slippered  feet;  the  melodramatic  situation  which 
had  brought  them  together;  the  unmistakable  gen- 
tility of  this  compelling  intruder  of  her  maidenly 
domain;  the  curious  collapse  of  his  aggressiveness 
— all  these  things  united  to  cast  a  sympathetic 
spell  over  her.  She  was  foolish — to  the  extreme 
of  placing  herself  in  a  ridiculous  situation!  She 
was  culpable — in  protecting  a  self-confessed 
butcher!  She  was  weak — in  yielding  to  girlish 
sentiment  by  permitting  this  man  to  shatter  the 
conventionalities, — she  who  had  been  accustomed, 
throughout  her  twenty  years  of  adulation  and 
awe-inspiring  respect,  to  a  servile  respect  from 
every  man,  woman,  and  child !  And,  worst  of  all 
to  an  essentially  feminine  mind,  she  had  allowed 
this  presumptuous,  calculating  stranger  to  over- 
ride her  better  judgment,  to  subjugate  her  resist- 
ance, without  a  visible  tribute  to  the  charms  which 
had  stirred  the  masculine  souls  of  a  continent ! 

And  yet,  in  spite  of — perhaps,  because  of — all 
these  illogical,  provoking,  equilibrium-shattering 


50  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

irritants — she  sat  there,  patiently,  eagerly  await- 
ing an  explanation.  Consistency,  thy  name  is  not 
Maidenhood ! 

Suddenly  he  looked  at  her. 

"  Do  you  know  what  a  feud  is  ? "  was  the 
curious  prologue. 

Her  answer  was  apt  and  surprising. 

"  Feud?    Spain  is  the  garden  of  feuds." 

"  So  is  Kentucky.  That's  where  I'm  from. 
You're  Spanish,  then  ?  " 

"Yes!" 

"  Then  you'll  understand  and  sympathize.  .  .  . 
Those  shots  you  heard  ended  a  feud  which  has 
lived  through  three  or  four  generations.  They 
brought  me  back  to  earth,  to  life,  to  a  realization 
of  things  about  me,  after  the  most  horrible  night- 
mare through  which  I've  ever  passed.  I  know  my 
own  name  now, — and  I  had  almost  forgotten  it 
since  I  went  back  home — so  short  a  time,  so  many 
centuries  ago ! " 

Then  Warren  Jarvis  told  her  the  story;  his  eyes 
were  half  closed,  and  with  his  fingers  clasped  and 
intertwined  beneath  his  square-chiseled  chin  he  re- 


AN  OATH  OF  ALLEGIANCE         51 

counted  the  steps  of  the  recent  event  with  the 
monotone  of  one  who  chants  a  mechanically 
memorized  tale.  She  understood  at  last. 

"  But  what  did  he  do  when  you  went  to  his 
room  in  the  hotel  ?  " 

"Just  what  I  expected — in  fact,  what  I 
prayed  for !  As  the  door  opened  he  fired  his  re- 
volver— and  I  carry  the  witness  inside  this  crim- 
son handkerchief.  I  had  my  own  weapon  in  my 
coat  pocket  .  .  .  it's  a  trick  I  learned  in  Cen- 
tral American  revolutions.  I  fired  from  my 
waist,  burned  a  hole  in  my  overcoat — and  burned 
a  hole  in  the  heart  of  that  murderous  hound." 

Suddenly  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  walked  to 
the  window,  just  as  he  had  done  back  in  Meadow 
Green  so  short  a  time  before. 

"  Dad,  dear  old  dad !  I  know  you're  satisfied. 
I  let  him  take  the  first  chance,  and  it  was  his 
last." 

He  was  silent.  The  girl  twisted  the  dressing- 
gown  in  her  slender,  nervous  fingers.  She  waited 
for  him  to  speak.  He  turned  about,  and  dropped 
his  hands,  palm  outward,  as  he  quietly  ended  it 


52  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

all  with  the  question :  "  Now,  can  you  understand 
why  the  law  would  not  give  me  justice?  " 

"  Is  he  dead — are  you  sure  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  wait — I  came  ...  to  ...  visit  you. 
Now  are  you  going  to  drive  me  out?  .  .  .  You 
don't  know  what  it  is  to  fight  single-handed 
against  fearful  odds.  That's  how  I  planned  to 
spend  my  summer.  To  fight  the  endless  fight 
alone.  .  .  ." 

She  leaned  forward  eagerly  as  she  answered : 
"  Oh,  yes,  I  do !  I  know  what  it  means.  ...  I, 
too,  have  been  fighting  against  fearful  odds !  " 

Jarvis  looked  at  her  sharply. 

"  There  is  no  man  to  fight  for  you  ?  " 

"  No  man  who  dares." 

"  Oh,  God !  If  there  had  only  been  a  woman 
left  for  me  to  fight  for!  .  .  .  But  with  my 
mother  gone  it  was  simply  a  hopeless,  desperate 
determination  to  square  the  score  at  any  cost, 
and  then  cry  '  Quits ! '  and  care  nothing." 

She  drew  back,  studying  the  outline  of  his 
agile  body,  as  he  stood  silhouetted  against  the 
moonlight. 


AN  OATH  OF  ALLEGIANCE         53 

"  And  are  you  alone?  " 

"  Alone." 

"  And  if  you're  caught,"  there  was  a  curious 
eagerness  in  her  low  voice,  "  it  means  payment 
with  your  life?  " 

"Yes!" 

"  Suppose  that  I  decided  to  help  you — to  do 
more  than  I  have  done  ?  " 

Jarvis  discarded  his  fatalism,  as  he  caught  at 
this  loophole. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  You  have  no  fear  of  death  ?  You  are  not 
afraid  of  ghosts  ?  " 

"  Ghosts  ?  Don't  joke  with  me.  I  am  an 
American." 

"  Yes — ghosts — they  are  not  confined  to 
America,  or  China,  or  Africa.  I  mean  Spanish 
ghosts." 

Jarvis'  laugh  was  almost  bitter,  as  he  responded 
with  a  tense  earnestness: 

"  After  to-night  I  am  not  afraid  of  the  living 
or  the  dead.  What  are  you  thinking  about?  " 

After   a   hesitation,   poignant   in   its   baffling 


54  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

anxiety,  she  rose  and  walked  toward  him,  abso- 
lutely forgetful  of  their  curious  meeting  and  their 
lack  of  a  common  ground  of  interest. 

"  If  you  escape  from  here,  it  will  be  because 
I  helped  you.  We  might  say,  I  saved  your  life, — 
if  what  you  tell  me  is  true  and  if  I  do  it  from 
a  selfish  motive  entirely,  I  am  justified.  I  have 
work  for  you  .  .  .  hard,  dangerous  work,  and  as 
I  am  frank,  it  may  mean  your  life  in  the  end. 
It's  a  chance,  and  you  have  nothing  to  lose." 

"And  if  I  agree?" 

"  You  will  begin  by  taking  the  ancient  feudal 
oath  of  my  country." 

"  Isn't  my  word  enough  ?  I'm  a  Kentuckian, 
you  know." 

"  But  I  insist." 

Jarvis  smiled  indulgently. 

"  Very  well — I'll  swear  the  blackest  oath  you 
can  utter."  His  eyes  twinkled.  "  Let's  hear  it 
all  now." 

The  girl  drew  back  her  shoulders  haughtily. 
It  was  apparent  that  she  took  this  curious  idea 
more  seriously  than  the  prelude  would  suggest. 


AN  OATH  OF  ALLEGIANCE         55 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  Jarvis." 

"All  of  it?" 

"  Warren  Jarvis." 

She  raised  her  hands,  to  the  Kentuckian's  sur- 
prise. 

"  Kneel  then,  Warren  of  Jarvis !  .  .  .  No,  not 
that  way, — on  one  knee  only!  " 

"I  beg  your  pardon."  Jarvis  began  to  feel 
ridiculous,  in  spite  of  himself.  But  there  were 
reasons  for  humoring  this  curious  beauty.  The 
footsteps  were  still  audible  in  the  hall. 

"  Now  repeat  this  oath :  I,  Warren  of  Jarvis  " 
(he  followed  word  for  word),  "  Sefior  of  all  the 
domains,  fiefs,  keeps,  and  marches  of  Warren  of 
Kentucky  ..." 

"  Whew !  "  and  he  stifled  a  laugh  as  he  echoed 
the  words. 

The  girl  continued :  "  Do  convey  to  Maria 
Theresa,  of  Aragon,  all  my  worldly  titles  and 
possessions  .  .  ." 

"  Sounds  like  I  were  marrying  her — I  beg  your 
pardon.  '  Do  convey  to  Maria  Theresa,  of 


56  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Aragon,  all  my  worldly  titles  and  possessions ! ' ' 

The  shade  of  a  smile  played  over  his  fea- 
tures. 

The  girl  caught  his  hand  in  hers,  placed  her 
left  in  both  of  his,  and  then  continued: 
"  And  receive  them  back  as  vassal  and  retainer 
and  to  faithfully  fight  in  my  lady's  cause,  accord- 
ing to  the  feudal  laws  of  Castile  and  Aragon !  " 

As  he  finished  the  repetition,  she  added: 
"  Arise,  vassal !  " 

With  the  spirit  of  the  ceremony,  he  jestingly 
caught  her  hand  and  kissed  it,  as  he  arose.  She 
drew  back  sharply. 

"  That  is  part  of  the  ceremony,  but  I  meant  to 
omit  it." 

Warren  Jarvis  laughed  provokingly. 

"  That  seemed  to  me  the  only  sensible  part  of 
it — again  I  beg  your  pardon.  But  who  on  earth 
is  this  Maria  Theresa  of  Aragon  person  whose 
hired  man  I  have  become  ?  " 

The  girl  drew  herself  up  with  a  hauteur  which 
could  never  have  been  imitated  upon  the  stage. 
Her  dark  eyes  glinted  coldly  as  she  replied :  "  I 


— "  and  to  faithfully  fight  in  my  lady's  cause," 


AN  OATH  OF  ALLEGIANCE         57 

— I  am  her  Serene  Highness — Maria  Theresa — 
Princess  of  Aragon !  " 

Jarvis  looked  at  her,  waiting  for  the  cue  to  the 
joke.  She  was  serious.  It  was  all  so  unreal,  so 
ridiculous — and  yet  back  there  on  the  floor  of  the 
room  down  the  corridor  lay  Jim  Marcum.  This 
mad,  sad,  heartrending  .adventure  must  have 
driven  him  to  insanity.  He  rubbed  his  brow, 
looked  out  of  the  window,  heard  the  unromantic 
honk-honk  of  a  piratical  night-owl  taxicab  on  the 
street  so  far  below.  He  steadied  his  mental 
equilibrium,  and  looked  again  at  the  self-possessed 
young  woman,  whose  regal  manner  was  as  con- 
vincing as  all  the  other  detail  were  unconvincing. 
On  the  table  lay  a  fortune  in  jewels  and  rings 
and  a  necklace.  He  had  not  noticed  them  before. 
He  remembered  the  Spanish  conversation  which 
he  had  heard  through  the  bathroom  door.  He 
realized  from  the  size  and  elegance  of  the  rooms 
that  this  must  indeed  be  a  regal  suite  in  the  great 
hotel. 

And  the  girl's  steady  look  never  wavered. 

American  humor,  in  the  presence  of  royalty, 


58  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

came  to  his  aid  in  this  staggering  blow  to  his 
credence. 

"  Good-night!  You  a  Princess.  .  .  .  and  I've 
been  ordering  you  around  with  a  gun!'  Great 
Scott  .  .  what  next?" 


EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING 

THE  Princess  turned  toward  the  door,  for 
a  step  could  be  heard  in  the  corridor. 

"  Before  that  official  returns  we  must 
have  a  plan.  I  thought  it  out  while  you  were 
behind  the  door.  But,  perhaps,  it  will  be  too  hard 
a  task  for  you." 

"  I'll  try  it.  Anything  to  get  out  of  here ! 
And  I  would  like  to  know  what  it  is  you  want  me 
to  do  for  you — what  about  the  ghost?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  in  good  time.  Just  now  for 
your  escape.  It  is  getting  late,  and  the  hours  are 
speeding  past.  You  are  in  a  hopeless  trap  here. 
Now,  my  trunk  .  .  ." 

"What  about  it?" 

"  I  am  sending  it  on  board  the  Mauretania  at 
six  o'clock,  and  no  one  could  possibly  suspect." 

59 


60  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Jarvis  turned  to  study  this  curious  vehicle  of 
transportation.  It  was  a  strong,  well-built  piece 
of  baggage,  indeed;  but  to  be  cooped  up  in  it, 
at  the  mercy  of  baggageman  and  truckman, 
hoisters  and  stewards — the  thought  was  stagger- 
ing. 

"  You're  joking,"  he  began,  but  she  resolutely 
shook  her  wealth  of  hair. 

"  It's  the  only  chance,  and  a  daring  one  at  that. 
I  am  jeopardizing  my  own  safety  by  assisting  you. 
Surely,  if  life  is  so  uncertain  for  you  at  best,  you 
cannot  lose  by  a  trial." 

Jarvis  stooped  over  it,  and  began  lifting  out 
the  trays,  to  study  the  questionable  roominess  of 
the  interior. 

"  What  about  these  ?  "  he  asked,  and  as  he  spoke 
a  locket  dropped  to  the  floor.  The  girl  darted 
forward  to  pick  it  up,  and  Jarvis  observed  it  for 
the  first  time.  Her  solicitude  seemed  unusual  to 
the  Kentuckian. 

"  Did  I  break  something  ?  " 

"  No.  It's  nothing.  I  mean,  it's  all  right. 
It's  just  a  locket.  I  broke  it  myself  yesterday,  on 


EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING  61 

purpose.  It  means  a  great  deal  to  me,  and  per- 
haps to  you.  Some  day  you  may  know  the  rea- 
son why.  .  .  .  Shall  we  send  the  trays  to  the 
steamer  by  messenger  ?  " 

Jarvis  thought  for  an  instant.  Here  was  such 
an  utterly  improbable  method  of  escape,  such  a 
strange  new  twirl  in  his  whirlpool  of  adventure, 
that  he  had  to  find  his  bearings. 

"  I  have  it  now,"  he  explained.  "  You  had 
better  telephone — we  must  have  someone  we  can 
trust  implicitly." 

The  Princess  crossed  toward  the  desk  telephone 
on  the  small  table  by  her  bed,  and  looked  at  him 
inquiringly. 

"  Ask  the  operator  to  connect  you  with  the 
Hotel  Belmont.  That's  just  across  the  street. 
My  room  is  417.  Rusty,  my  servant,  is  there. 
He  is  waiting  for  some  word  from  me,  as  he  knew 
the  possibilities  when  I  met  Jim  Marcum.  He 
can  be  counted  on  till  Judgment  Day  and  then  a 
few  hours  afterwards !  Tell  him  to  come  here  at 
once — mention  my  first  name  only,  with  no  other 
explanation — that  will  bring  him  and  give  no 


62  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

other  clew  to  an  outsider.  You  never  can  tell 
about  a  telephone.  But  fortunately,  I  registered 
there  under  a  different  name.  Try  it  now." 

The  girl  had  the  receiver  off  the  hook.  After 
a  short  delay  she  was  talking  directly  with  the 
faithful  servitor,  whose  trembling  voice  betokened 
his  anxiety.  But  Rusty  was  too  sage  to  ask  too 
many  questions — he  had  served  in  affairs  of  deli- 
cacy before  this. 

"Hello— is  this  Mr.  Rusty?  ...  Yes?  Well, 
listen  carefully.  You  are  to  come  right  over  to 
the  Manhattan  Hotel  across  the  street  and  a  bell- 
boy will  be  waiting  for  you  at  the  desk.  He  is  to 
bring  you  up  to  room  1121." 

Jarvis  interrupted :  "  Tell  him  to  keep  his  mouth 
shut!" 

The  Princess  balked  at  the  colloquialism. 

"  And — and — don't   talk   to  anyone 
What's  that  ?    .    .    .    Oh,  yes.     '  Warren.'    .    .    . 
There,  he'll  be  coming  over  immediately." 

Jarvis,  the  executive,  was  now  in  action. 

He  had  emptied  the  trunk  as  she  was  talking, 
tossing  out  fascinating  feminine  mysteries  of  lace 


EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING  63 

and  silks,  with  a  nonchalance  which  brought  a 
twinkle  into  the  dark  eyes.  He  turned  again. 

"  Hurry,  now — call  up  the  clerk  downstairs. 
Tell  them  to  look  out  for  Rusty  and  send  him  up 
here." 

More  delicate  symphonies  of  Parisian  architec- 
ture were  thrown  on  the  floor,  and  Warren  had 
taken  out  his  pocket-knife. 

"  Hello,  hello,"  called  the  Princess.  "  I'm  ex- 
pecting a  man." 

"  A  colored  man,"  was  Warren's  parenthesis. 

"  Yes,  ...  a  colored  man  ...  to  get 
some  bundles.  He  will  come  right  to  the  desk 
.  .  please  send  him  up  at  once  .  .  .  It  is 
very  important." 

The  Princess  observed  Jarvis'  attempt  to  bore 
a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  trunk.  He  was  laboring 
diligently,  until  the  blade  snapped. 

"Confound  it!" 

"  Why  are  you  doing  that  ?  " 

"  I  must  breathe,  you  know  .  .  .  Now,  how 
can  I  cut  a  hole  in  the  blessed  thing?"  He 
scratched  his  forehead  in  a  quandary. 


64  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

The  Princess  brought  him  her  shears  from  the 
dresser.  In  a  few  minutes  he  had  made  two 
openings  which  seemed  to  satisfy  him,  but  it  had 
been  no  easy  task. 

"  What  time  does  the  boat  sail  ?  " 

"  Nine  o'clock." 

"Good.  That  will  give  Rusty  time  to  get 
aboard  with  these  trays  and  my  baggage.  Let  me 
see,  it  is  a  quarter  of  six  now — how  quickly  the 
dawn  has  slipped  in !  " 

There  was  a  knock  on  the  outer  door,  and  Jarvis 
again  disappeared  behind  the  bathroom  portal, 
with  instinctive  caution. 

At  a  call  from  the  Princess,  the  door  opened 
after  she  had  slid  back  the  upper  bolt.  The  girl 
stepped  back  abashed  at  the  appearance  of  the 
excited  negro.  Rusty  rolled  his  eyes,  suspiciously 
taking  in  the  contents  of  the  room. 

"  Whar's  Marse  Warren?  "  and  his  voice  was 
hoarse.  Jarvis  stepped  into  view.  "  Lawd  bless 
you,  Marse  Warren.  I  done  thought  dat  Marcum 
got  you  dis  time." 

"  Never  mind  what  you  thought.     Help  me 


EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING  65 

wrap  up  these  trays.  We  sail  for  Europe  in  two 
hours." 

Rusty  gasped,  shot  another  big-eyed  look  at  the 
beautiful  girl  and  then  at  his  master. 

"  Two  hours — good  Lawd ! — you  mean  WE  ?  " 

The  Princess  was  holding  out  a  steamer  rug 
in  silence. 

"  Yes,  Rusty,  you  and  I.  Here,  give  me  a 
hand  with  this  rug,"  and  with  the  aid  of  his 
servant  he  made  a  quick  job  of  the  bundling. 
"  Now,  take  these — with  our  baggage  from  the 
Belmont — to  the  steamship  Mauretania  of  the 
Cunard  line.  Buy  accommodations.  .  .  .  Mind, 
you  won't  see  me  until  after  we  get  out  to  sea. 
You  stay  in  your  stateroom  and  sit  tight  until 
you  hear  from  me." 

He  took  out  his  wallet. 

"  You  understand  now  ?  Cunard  line.  You 
can  find  it  some  way — just  take  a  taxi,  and  get 
there  as  fast  as  you  can.  The  clerk  at  the  hotel 
will  get  the  tickets  over  the  telephone,  and  you  can 
pay  him  when  you  settle  for  the  whole  bill,  with 
that  other  money  I  gave  you.  Now,  get  hold  of 


66  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

this  money,  and  keep  hold  of  it.  No  gin  now, 
Rusty !  " 

He  turned  around,  and  observed  the  amused 
surprise  on  the  face  of  his  fair  companion. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon.  .  .  .  This  is  Rusty; — 
Rusty,  this  is  the  Princess  of  Aragon  .  .  ." 

Rusty  bowed. 

"  Howdy  do,  Mrs.  Princess !  " 

"  There,  that  will  do.  Is  it  all  clear  for  you 
now?" 

"  Yassir.  I  takes  everything  to  the  steamboat 
— gets  accommo — accommo — wall,  I  knows  what 
you  means,  Marse  Warren,  if  I  cain't  spell  it.  I 
gets  them  things  for  us  and  Mrs.  Princess." 

The  girl  reddened  under  the  beaming  smile, 
but  Jarvis  quickly  interceded. 

"Not  for  the  Princess;  just  for  us  two. 
What's  the  name  of  the  boat?  " 

"  The  Mary  Tania! " 

"  That'll  do.  Now  be  off,  and  don't  get  left 
behind." 

As  Rusty  made  his  exit  with  the  bulky  bundle, 
the  Princess  smiled :  "  Good-by,  Rusty,"  and  he 


EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING  67 

bobbed  his  head  with  a  broader  grin  than  ever 
as  he  disappeared  down  the  corridor  toward  the 
elevator. 

"  Time  nearly  up,"  muttered  Warren,  as  he 
took  off  his  coat.  "  Pardon  the  disrobing — but 
I'll  be  more  at  ease  in  my  shirt-sleeves.  It's  a 
stingy  little  room  to  spend  three  hours  in.  I'll  lie 
this  way,  with  my  head  toward  this  corner.  Re- 
member, this  trunk  must  not  go  into  the  hold  of 
the  ship — have  it  marked  '  Wanted  '  and  '  This 
End  Up.'  I'll  take  the  shears  along  and  cut  an- 
other hole  from  the  inside  if  it  gets  too  suffocat- 
ing." 

The  girl  walked  to  the  table  and  picked  up  the 
revolver,  which  she  held  out. 

"  You'd  better  take  this,  too." 

"  How  do  you  know  you  can  trust  me  now  ?  " 

There  was  a  veiled  irony  in  her  retort,  although 
it  was  accompanied  by  a  smile :  "  I  don't.  I  have 
to  take  that  chance.  I  have  no  other  choice  at 
this  late  hour." 

"  You  must  have  a  pretty  good  reason  for  it  in 
the  back  of  your  head.  But  what  about  this 


68  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

ghost?  I  may  never  hear  the  sequel.  At  least 
give  me  some  food  for  thought  during  my  travels 
in  the  dark." 

"  Are  you  afraid?  " 

"  Lord,  no !  I  merely  wanted  to  know.  Well, 
I'll  wait.  But,  now,  honest  Injun,  as  we  say 
down  in  Kentucky,  are  you  a  really,  sure-enough 
princess  ?  " 

"  Why  do  you  ask  that?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.  Somehow  you  are  not 
quite  like  what  I  thought  a  princess  would  be. 
.  .  .  I  mean,  you're  different  from  the  popular 
conception  of  a  royal  person.  Your  English  is  so 
perfect." 

"  I  learned  it  in  an  English  boarding-school." 

"  Your  informality — for  it  has  been  put  to  a 
severe  test  these  last  few  hours, — your  adaptabil- 
ity,— you  have  more  understanding,  more  sym- 
pathy, more  heart." 

She  turned  away  and  tilted  a  haughty  chin. 

"  In  that  last  respect,  sir,  you  will  find  me  quite 
like  the  popular  conception." 

A  knocking  on  the  door  interrupted  further  in- 


EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING          69 

terchanges  on  the  peculiarities  of  royalty.  Jarvis 
clambered  inside  the  vehicle  of  his  escape,  and 
drew  down  the  lid,  with  a  farewell  smile. 

"  Trunks,  lady,  for  the  steamer ! "  came  the 
voice  of  the  porter,  as  he  resumed  his  thumping 
on  the  door  panel. 

"Just  a  minute."  The  Princess  hurriedly 
bundled  up  the  scattered  garments,  jumbling  them 
upon  the  bed.  She  turned  the  key  in  the  trunk 
and,  with  a  quick  feminine  survey  of  the  field  for 
damaging,  overlooked  evidence,  called  to  her  maid. 

"  Nita,  admit  the  porter." 

The  servant  appeared  with  surprising  prompt- 
ness. The  man  pushed  in  his  truck,  with  the  ob- 
sequious manner  which  is  a  prelude  to  the  smirk- 
ing appreciation  of  a  handsome  gratuity. 

"  Have  the  other  trunks  gone,  my  good  man?  " 
queried  her  Serene  Highness. 

"  Yes'm.     Last  night,  mum." 

"  This  trunk  goes  on  a  special  wagon." 

"  Yes'm." 

At  this  juncture  the  house  detective  appeared  at 
the  doorway.  He  stopped  and  looked  question- 


70  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

ingly  at  the  broken  lock.  He  was  alert  as  a 
weasel  despite  his  ponderous  physique :  he  fingered 
it,  and  studied  the  evidence  of  fresh  splinters. 
The  Princess  continued  calmly. 

"  Have  it  marked  '  Wanted  '  "  (and  as  she  in- 
dicated with  a  jeweled  finger),  "'This  End  up 
with  Care.' " 

The  porter  nodded. 

"  I'll  put  special  stickers  on  it,  mum.  You'll 
find  it  in  your  stateroom  when  you  get  to  the 
steamer.  Is  that  all,  mum  ?  " 

"  Handle  it  gently,  porter." 

"  Shure,  lady  and  I  never  smashed  one  in  me 
life !  I'll  handle  it  as  rivirintly  as  if  it  held  the 
relics  of  a  saint,  mum.  I'm  that  careful  in  me 
worruk.  So  don't  worry  one  little  bit,  mum." 

As  he  started  out  with  the  heavy  piece  of  lug- 
gage on  his  truck,  the  detective  stopped  him 
sternly. 

"Just  a  minute.  How  did  that  lock  get 
broken  ?  " 

The  Princess  felt  herself  changing  color,  yet 
she  shrugged  her  shoulders  as  she  turned  away. 


EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING  71 

Nita  suddenly  chattered  in  Spanish  to  her,  and 
the  detective  shot  a  sharp  glance  at  the  girl. 

"  What  does  she  say?  "  he  cried.  "  She  knows 
something  about  it." 

"  She  says  the  other  porter  banged  the  door 
before  we  came  in,  for  it  was  that  way  when 
she  entered  to  arrange  my  clothes.  I  have  had 
my  sleep  interrupted  all  night  long,  and  I  do  not 
care  for  any  insolence  now." 

The  detective  looked  a  bit  sheepish,  but  stuck 
to  his  inquest. 

"  When  did  you  come  ?  " 

"  Yesterday." 

"  And  when  do  you  go  away  ?  " 

"  We  sail  this  morning  for  Europe." 

"  Huh,"  and  there  was  a  suggestion  of  doubt 
in  his  grunt.  "  The  police  are  making  an  investi- 
gation in  the  hotel.  They  would  like  to  have  a 
look  at  these  rooms.  Do  you  mind  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  My  maid  will  show  them 
around." 

"  What  time  do  you  sail  ?  Does  this  trunk  go 
on  board  ?  " 


72  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Yes, — I  want  it  sent  on  a  special  wagon,  for 
I  fear  we  will  be  late.  The  steamer  sails  at  nine 
o'clock." 

The  detective  nodded  to  the  porter,  who 
brushed  close  by  the  Princess  with  his  cargo. 

"  Bon  voyage!  "  she  said  with  a  smile. 

"  What's  that?  "  asked  the  detective. 

"  I  merely  called  my  maid.  You're  an  unusu- 
ally impertinent  and  inquisitive  man.  In  my 
country  gentlewomen  are  shown  some  degree  of 
courtesy,  even  by  hotel  servants,"  she  remarked 
icily. 

The  detective's  ruddy  face  grew  redder. 

"  Well,  I  dunno  about  your  country,  whatever 
that  is.  But  in  this  country,  and  in  this  hotel 
there  don't  nothin'  get  by  me.  That's  all.  Come 
on  in,  boys." 

Two  bluecoats  entered  the  room,  gazed  awk- 
wardly about,  and  walked  to  the  window  to  peer 
down  at  the  street.  Then  they  passed  out,  not 
without,  it  must  be  admitted,  an  envious  glance  at 
the  collection  of  jewels  on  the  table. 

As  the  door  closed  behind  them,  her  Serene 


EXIT  JARVIS,  LAUGHING  73 

Highness  turned  toward  Nita,  as  she  relaxed  in 
the  chair  by  the  dressing-table. 

"  You  may  dress  my  hair,  child.  I  wonder 
how  the  door  was  broken?  " 

"  Ah,  madame,"  was  the  guileless  response. 
"  Quien  sabe?  " 


VI 
OVER  THE  SEA  AND  FAR  AWAY 

THAT  journey  to  the  Mauretania  was  never 
to  be  forgotten  by  Warren  Jarvis ;  and  yet 
so  weird,  bruising,   jumbling,  and  alto- 
gether horrible  was  it,  that  he  could  never  dis- 
tinctly remember  its  details. 

With  hands  stretched  tensely  against  the  cor- 
ners of  the  trunk,  he  warded  off  as  best  he  could 
the  shocks  of  the  skilled  baggage-breakers  along 
the  route.  Again  and  again,  an  unexpected  twist 
would  bang  his  throbbing  head  against  the  ada- 
mantine sides,  and  with  a  wince,  a  sharp,  in-drawn 
breath,  he  would  hold  himself  "  together  "  for  one 
more  bump ! 

The  air  was  stifling;  yet  the  foresight  of  cutting 
the  holes  gave  him  enough  oxygen  to  maintain 
his  senses.  At  last,  after  aeons  of  suffering  which 
reminded  him  of  nothing  so  much  as  his  initia- 

74 


OVER  THE  SEA  AND  FAR  AWAY    75 

tion  into  the  college  fraternity,  he  felt  himself  be- 
ing dragged  up  the  side  of  the  great  ocean  grey- 
hound. 

More  jolts,  more  rolls  and  bangs,  and  at  last, 
with  muscles  wrenched,  a  swollen  forehead  and 
nerves  aquiver,  there  was  rest. 

"  I'm  in  her  cabin  at  last — and  now  for  a  grace- 
ful exit!  "  he  told  himself,  with  an  enforced  jocu- 
larity. But  this  was  no  easy  task.  He  spent  a 
full  half-hour,  working  and  prying  with  the  shears 
against  the  lock  which  imprisoned  him  with  in- 
domitable force  from  the  outside  of  the  iron-and- 
leathern  prison. 

Upon  the  outer  deck  of  the  great  turbiner,  the 
Princess  nervously  fought  her  way  through  the 
great  throng  of  voyagers  and  their  friends.  Nita 
was  close  by  her  side.  It  seemed  impossible  to  cap- 
ture a  steward  who  was  not  busy  with  the  bearing 
of  bouquets  and  wine  baskets.  In  other  circum- 
stances this  young  personage  would  have  been 
furious  at  the  lack  of  respect  which  she  had  been 
educated  to  expect  from  the  throngs  of  her  own 
country. 


76  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

But  to-day  her  only  anxiety  was  to  find  her 
elusive  quarters  for  the  strange  cruise,  to  learn 
whether  or  not  her  new  knight-errant  were  alive 
or  dead  from  the  rigors  of  his  escape. 

At  last,  with  the  aid  of  an  extravagant  lar- 
gesse, she  was  conducted  to  her  staterooms. 

As  she  entered  the  parlor  of  her  luxurious  suite, 
the  first  sight  which  caught  her  eye  was  the  trunk, 
inverted !  The  printed  sign  of  direction,  "  This 
End  up  with  Care,"  were  upside  down ! 

She  gasped,  and  looked  nervously  about  to  note 
the  expression  upon  the  face  of  Nita.  That 
young  woman  was  busy  studying  the  handsome 
features  of  the  ingratiating  bedroom-steward. 
So  engrossed  was  she  that  she  stumbled  over  the 
elevated  sill  of  the  door  from  the  promenade  deck. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  sorry,  miss ! "  apologized  the 
steward.  "  Did  you  hurt  yourself  ?  These  doors 
are  always  troublesome  until  you  get  used  to  them. 
But  they  are  necessary  to  keep  out  the  water  in 
rough  weather." 

The  Princess  was  thinking  only  of  the  oppor- 
tunity to  open  the  fateful  trunk. 


OVER  THE  SEA  AND  FAR  AWAY    77 

"You  don't  anticipate  a  bad  passage,  steward?" 

"  Rather  uncertain,  ma'am,  at  this  time  of  the 
year,"  and  he  busied  himself  adjusting  the  hand 
luggage  and  arranging  the  chairs.  "  But  your 
location  is  good.  You'll  find  the  Mauretania  as 
steady  as  a  parish  church.  Here  is  the  clothes 
press,  ma'am,  and  the  other  rooms  are  off  there. 
It's  quite  the  finest  suite  on  the  boat,  ma'am." 

The  steward  looked  about  ingratiatingly,  then 
he  turned  toward  the  door. 

"If  you  want  anything,  ma'am — there  is  the 
telephone.  .  .  .  I'll  place  your  trunk,  if  you 
please,  ma'am ! " 

He  started  to  drag  the  trunk  to  the  side  of  the 
cabin,  but  the  Princess  intervened. 

"  That's  all  right;  you  may  place  it  later.  But 
you  might  fix  it  right  side  up !  " 

The  steward  turned  it,  as  the  girl  breathed  a 
sigh  of  relief. 

"  I'm  so  sorry,  ma'am.  I  hope  the  contents  are 
not  upset." 

"  I  hope  not." 

"  Anything  else,  ma'am?  " 


78  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  No,  not  now,  steward  ?  How  soon  do  we 
sail?" 

"  Very  soon,"  and  as  he  spoke  there  came  the 
stentorian  warning :  "  All  ashore  that's  going 
ashore !  "  The  call  was  repeated  four  times,  and 
the  voice  died  away  in  the  distance  of  the  long 
promenade  deck. 

With  a  bow,  and  a  significant  glance  at  the  at- 
tractive maid,  the  steward  finally  dragged  him- 
self out  of  the  attractive  cabin.  The  Princess 
sank  nervously  into  a  chair. 

"  That  is  all,  now,  Nita.  I  have  the  key  to  the 
trunk.  I  will  call  you  when  I  need  you." 

"  Yes,  your  Highness.  But,  will  your  High- 
ness excuse  me  if  I  am  mistaken  in  thinking  that 
I  recognized  his  Excellency  the  Duke,  your 
exalted  cousin,  among  the  passengers  as  we  came 
up  the  gangplank  .  .  .  ?  " 

Her  Highness  was  distinctly  startled,  but  she 
showed  no  trace  of  her  emotion  to  the  servant. 

"  My  cousin — it  is  impossible.  He  is  at  Ma- 
drid, where  his  Majesty  the  King  is  holding 
Court." 


OVER  THE  SEA  AND  FAR  AWAY    79 

"  Yes,  your  Highness,"  and  she  went,  but  her 
inflection  showed  that  she  knew  herself  to  be  in 
the  right.  Nita  was  too  good  a  servant  to  argue 
with  her  betters. 

"  Carlos  here?  How  could  he  be,  I  wonder?  " 
and  the  Princess  fumbled  with  her  keys,  until  she 
found  the  right  one.  She  opened  the  trunk  with  a 
trembling  hand,  and  began  to  raise  the  cover,  a 
quiver  in  her  voice. 

"  Are  you  all  right  .    .    .   Mr.  Jarvis  ?  " 

It  was  the  voice  of  a  nervous,  frightened  girl — 
not  of  a  royal  personage — this  time. 

Just  then  she  heard  a  knock  on  the  cabin  door. 
There  was  no  time  for  a  response.  "  Quiet !  Be 
careful !  "  she  cautioned,  sotto  voce. 

As  she  hurried  to  the  door,  she  pulled  her  taut 
nerves  together.  There  on  the  threshold  was  her 
kinsman:  Nita  had  been  right  as  usual,  in  her 
sharp  way. 

Carlos,  Duke  of  Alva,  with  smiling  lips  and  sin- 
ister eyes,  greeted  her  with  the  suave  courtesy 
which  is  so  characteristic  of  his  race  and  class. 
He  typified  the  worst  of  the  Spanish  folk,  even  as 


8o  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

the  young  girl  did  the  best.  To  a  keen  student  of 
physiognomy  the  mental  attitude  of  the  Duke  of 
Alva  would  have  been  an  open  book.  To  Maria 
Theresa,  loyal  to  family  and  countrymen,  he  was 
the  symbol  of  her  own  strata  in  Spain — yet,  be- 
neath her  gracious  forgiveness  of  and  enforced 
indifference  to  many  things,  there  lurked  a  latent 
mistrust,  which  she  had  never  yet  defined  in  prac- 
tical, applicable  terms. 

With  white  teeth,  crisp-curling  black  hair,  and 
eyes  of  sparkling  coal-shade,  the  Duke  of  Alva 
bowed  with  that  polished  grace  which  had  broken 
many  a  heart  and  carried  him  over  many  a  stretch 
of  thin  ice,  in  the  courtly  adventuring  on  the 
Continent. 

"  Carlos !  "  exclaimed  the  Princess. 

"  Fair  cousin — if  I  but  knew  you  were  as 
pleased,  as  you  are  surprised,  at  seeing  me ! " 
With  the  words  he  advanced  and  kissed  her  cold 
finger-tips  with  Old-World  punctiliousness. 

"  What  are  you  doing  on  the  Mauretania? 
Why  did  you  leave  Spain,  Carlos  ?  " 

As  he  shut  the  door  he  smiled,  and  now  her  in- 


OVER  THE  SEA  AND  FAR  AWAY    81 

tuition  warned  her  of  the  cunning  which  lurked 
behind  those  pleasantly  curving  lips. 

"  First  tell  me  that  you  are  glad  to  see  me !  I 
have  come  many  leagues  to  hear  those  words, 
Maria!" 

"  Why  .  .  .  Why,  ...  of  course,  I  am  al- 
ways glad  to  see  you,  cousin." 

He  simulated  a  pathetic  irony.  "  You  say  you 
are  always  glad  to  see  me — and  yet,  I  fear  it  is 
not  always  since  my  unfortunate  quarrel  with 
your  brother.  Alas,  and  that  has  hardened  your 
heart  against  me." 

The  Duke  was  a  suitor  of  the  romantic  school : 
each  phrase  was  studied,  each  attitude  as  obvi- 
ously planned  as  a  military  campaign.  It  was  a 
method  which  had  invariably  succeeded,  until  his 
efforts  with  the  Princess  of  Aragon.  Yet,  he  was 
too  satisfied  with  bygone  results  to  abandon  the 
time-tried  artistries  of  former  victories. 

The  Princess  dropped  her  eyes  before  the  un- 
deniable questioning  of  his  burning  glances.  As 
she  looked  away,  he  assured  himself  that  he  had 
scored. 


82  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  My  brother  .  .  .  what  do  you  know  of  him, 
Carlos  ?  When  did  you  see  him  last  ?  Have  you 
been  in  Seguro  ?  " 

Two  long  whistles,  and  the  vibration  of  the 
great  steamship  evidenced  the  beginning  of  the 
long  voyage.  The  answer  to  the  questions  was 
still  more  pathetic  in  cadence. 

"  Ah,  how  I  dread  telling  you !  .  .  .  I  was  there 
a  few  days  before  leaving  for  America.  I 
learned,  unfortunately,  that  despite  my  very 
friendly  advice,  he  had  been  prowling  about  that 
ridiculous  old  castle  again,  in  search  of  the  myth- 
ical treasure  your  grandfather  is  supposed  to  have 
secreted  there." 

He  laughed,  and  the  girl  instinctively  shud- 
dered with  a  newborn  distrust.  There  was  no 
mirth  in  the  sound. 

"  You  heard  nothing  more  ?  Was  he  well  and 
safe  when  you  left  the  town?  " 

"  He  was  as  well  and  safe  as  I  would  consider 
any  man  who  was  prowling  about  that  castle  in 
a  foolhardy  way." 

She  wished  to  get  rid  of  him:  that  ominous 


OVER  THE  SEA  AND  FAR  AWAY    83 

trunk  might  contain  a  dead  man,  for  all  she 
knew. 

"  How  did  you  find  me  ?  Why  did  you  come 
to  America  ?  " 

"  What  could  have  brought  me  here  but  love 
and  anxiety  for  you?  " 

She  turned  away  impatiently  and  walked  to- 
ward the  cabin  porthole. 

"  Oh,  come,  Carlos.  The  ship  is  almost  in  mid- 
stream. Let  us  go  out  on  deck,  for  one  last  look 
at  America." 

"  Thank  you;  I  can  do  very  well  without  it! " 
he  retorted,  as  he  sat  down  upon  the  trunk.  "  My 
dear  Maria,  why  do  you  not  desist  from  this  silly 
pursuit  of  an  imaginary  treasure?  What  is  the 
value  of  money — we  are  Spaniards,  not  shirt- 
sleeved,  mercenary  pigs  of  Americans !  We  strive 
for  it,  only  to  obtain  the  happiness  and  luxury 
which  it  brings.  Can  it  bring  any  greater  happi- 
ness than  that  which  I  have  so  many  times  laid 
at  your  feet — the  love  and  honored  name  of  a 
man  who  would  protect  and  worship  you?  You 
have  wonderful  beauty  and  family  rank.  I  have 


84  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

power,  influence  at  Court,  and  an  unconquer- 
able ambition.  Mine  is  the  intellect  to  conceive, 
the  heart  to  dare,  and  the  will  to  complete !  Think 
what  our  alliance  would  mean  to  us  both.  .  .  . 
my  dear  girl — there  is  nothing  which  could  halt 
me,  nothing  which  I  could  not  crush !  " 

Had  many  a  man  made  this  speech  he  would 
have  punctuated  its  termination  with  a  clenched 
fist.  But  the  scion  of  an  intriguing  aristocracy 
bared  his  teeth  in  a  wolf-like  smile  as  he  un- 
sheathed his  sword-cane  an  inch  or  two,  to  snap 
it  back  into  place,  with  a  snarling  smile  in  his 
drooping  eyes. 

However,  the  speech  and  the  theatrical  delivery 
of  the  gifted  courtier  were  wasted  effort.  Maria 
Theresa  of  Spain  was  impervious  to  the  surface 
sheen:  she  had  seen  true  metal  within  the  past 
twenty-four  hours ! 

"  Oh,  Carlos — you  should  have  been  a  novelist 
or  a  dramatist !  I  much  prefer  the  romantic  sky- 
line of  New  York  harbor  to  your  reminiscence  of 
Don  Quixote ! " 

The  great  roar  of  the  turbine  vibrated  through 


OVER  THE  SEA  AND  FAR  AWAY    85 

the  ship.  She  advanced  to  the  cabin  door,  and  im- 
periously called  to  him  to  follow. 

"  I  insist.  I  need  fresh  air.  .  .  .  We'll  be 
gone  ten  minutes! " 

And  grudgingly  the  Duke  of  Alva  followed  her, 
with  a  vicious  swish  of  his  cane  at  the  unoffend- 
ing trunk. 

As  the  door  slammed,  the  top  of  the  trunk  was 
slowly  lifted,  and  the  battered,  bleeding  face  of 
Warren  Jarvis  might  have  been  visible  above  the 
iron  ridge  of  its  lock  bar. 

Stiffly  he  drew  himself  out  of  the  trunk,  to 
blink  in  the  unaccustomed  light. 

"O  .  .  .  O  .  .  .  O  .  .  .  Oh!  Lord!  .  .  . 
If  I  only  had  that  last  baggageman  by  the  neck !  " 

He  bent  forward  and  back  to  limber  an  ap- 
parently paralzed  spinal  column. 

"Well,  I'm  all  here!" 

He  stumbled  across  the  cabin,  where  he  helped 
himself  to  a  welcome  drink  of  water.  He  ten- 
derly caressed  the  bruised  elbows,  and  breathed 
hard. 

"  I'm  most  all  here !  " 


86  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

He  looked  down  at  his  twisted,  cracked  patent- 
leather  shoes. 

"  My  feet  are  bent — they'll  never  get  well !  " 

He  sat  limply  down  on  the  top  of  the  trunk, 
and  fumbling  in  his  hip  pocket  drew  forth  a  bent 
and  battered  cigarette  case.  As  he  struck  a  light 
to  inhale  a  few  welcome,  cheering  puffs,  he  looked 
about  his  strange  surroundings  with  the  old,  un- 
conquerable Jarvis  spirit. 

"A  Princess — a  Duke — a  castle — a  treasure! 
Well,  well !  But  the  problem  is :  Where  the  devil 
do  I  fit  in?" 


VII 
THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE 

WARREN  hobbled  painfully  to  the  tele- 
phone  on   the   wall.     This    connected 
with  a  central  switchboard  from  which 
he  knew  he  could  reach  his  own  stateroom — pro- 
vided Rusty  had  not  failed  in  his  trust. 

"  Great  Scott !  Suppose  it  is  impossible  to  get 
accommodations !  I'll  have  to  ride  as  a  stowaway 
in  the  hold,  after  all !  "  he  thought. 

At  any  rate  he  knew  that  the  ten  minutes  were 
rapidly  dissipating,  and  from  what  he  had  learned 
by  eavesdropping  through  the  trunk,  the  Duke 
was  not  the  kindliest  person  in  the  world  for  a 
man  in  such  a  predicament. 

"Hello!"    he    called.     "Hello,    there.   .    .    . 
Yes.     I  want  the  stateroom  of  Mr.  Jarvis.   .    .    . 
Yes,  Warren  Jarvis.   .    .    .   No,  I  don't  know  the 
number  of  the  room.   .    .    .   All  right." 
87 


88  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

There  was  a  pause,  and  he  improved  the  oppor- 
tunity to  unlimber  his  arms  and  legs,  while  wait- 
ing by  the  instrument.  At  last  came  the  welcome 
voice  with  the  African  accents :  "  Yassir,  hello. 
Who  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  Hello,  Rusty !  .  .  .  Good  boy.  .  .  .  Lis- 
ten, come  up  to  this  stateroom,  and  bring  me  an 
overcoat  and  a  scarf.  Yes,  and  bring  me  a  damp 
towel  with  some  soap  on  it.  Yes,  and  stick  a 
comb  into  the  coat  pocket." 

"  Law,  boss,  I  dunno  whar  you-all  is  ?  " 

"  That's  right.  Wait  a  minute."  He  opened 
the  door  to  the  cabin  passageway,  and  squinted  at 
the  number  plate.  Back  again  to  the  telephone 
he  continued :  "  Stateroom  A,  Promenade  deck. 
.  .  .  And  bring  up  that  big  bundle  in  the 
steamer  rug.  Quick  now." 

Jarvis  hung  up  the  receiver  and  walked  stiffly 
to  the  window,  peering  out  at  the  disappearing 
shores. 

"Well,  good-by,  Uncle  Sam.  I  don't  know 
when  I'll  see  you  again.  And  as  for  you,  Miss 
Liberty — I  don't  believe  there  will  be  any  of  your 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE    89 

sisters  or  cousins  around  this  precious  castle 
where  Fate  is  taking  me.  I  don't  know  which  of 
us  two  is  the  craziest — this  Duke  or  myself." 
Then,  after  a  pause,  he  added,  "  Well,  his  taste 
is  not  to  be  sneered  at;  that's  certain." 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door.  Warren  was 
uncertain  as  to  the  wisest  thing  to  do.  He 
called :  "  Go  away — we're  all  very  ill !  "  Then  he 
darted  for  one  of  the  side  staterooms. 

But  the  door  opened  slowly,  and  the  plump 
physiognomy  of  Rusty  Snow  appeared.  Rusty 
stumbled  awkwardly  over  the  elevated  threshold, 
dropping  the  large  bundle,  landing  prone  on  the 
deck. 

"  Wha'f-f-foh  they  want  to  build  a  dern  fool 
door  like  that?  "  complained  Rusty,  scrambling  up 
with  a  bruised  shin,  the  tenderest  spot  of  a  negro. 

His  master  worked  feverishly,  untying  the  trays 
and  fitting  them  into  the  trunk  from  which  he  had 
tardily  removed  his  dress  coat,  and  the  revolver. 
Then  he  smiled  at  Rusty. 

"  How  in  de  name  of  Moses  did  you-all  git  on 
de  steamboat,  Marse  Warren  ?  "  was  his  servant's 


9o  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

next  remark,  as  he  helped  on  with  the'  coat  over 
the  painful  shoulders. 

"  I  came  in  the  trunk — and  it  was  almost  as 
good  traveling  as  some  of  those  mountain  rail- 
roads back  in  Kentucky.  Quick,  hand  me  that 
towel — my  face  is  bleeding." 

A  few  quick  movements,  the  use  of  the  comb, 
and  he  looked  more  presentable,  resembling  Jarvis 
the  clubman  once  again. 

"  Did  you  see  any  signs  of  the  police,  Rusty  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.    Nary  a  sign." 

"  Are  you  sure?  " 

"  Dead  sartin,  Marse  Warren." 

"Did  you  look?" 

"  No,  sir.  I  cain't  say  as  I  did.  I  wasn't  an- 
xious to  look." 

The  door  opened,  with  a  suddenness  which 
caused  both  men  to  jump.  It  was  the  Princess. 
She  smiled  with  relief  as  she  saw  the  rehabilita- 
tion. 

"How  de  do,  Mrs.  Princess?"  was  Rusty's 
polite  greeting,  with  a  bow.  His  formality  was 
growing  more  impressive,  as  the  acquaintance  ex- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE    91 

tended.  Here  was  "quality  "  indeed — Rusty  was 
a  judge  of  "  breed  " ! 

"  How  do  you  do,  Rusty  ?  "  and  she  laughed 
girlishly. 

Then  she  turned  toward  her  vassal.  He  wore 
a  quizzical,  friendly,  and  amusingly  pathetic  look. 
The  bruises  of  his  trip  were  evident  upon  the 
clear-cut  features. 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  you  made  it  all  right.  But 
how  they  must  have  bumped  and  banged  and  wab- 
bled and  whirled  you !  " 

"  I  believe  I  could  go  over  Niagara  Falls  in  a 
barrel  now,  without  turning  a  hair." 

She  saw  the  hand — with  its  red  wound.  She 
winced,  and  reached  for  the  hand,  womanlike. 

"  Oh,  that's  dreadful.  You  must  have  it  at- 
tended at  once.  Let  me  get  something." 

Warren  stoically  drew  it  away  from  the  gentle 
touch  of  the  white  fingers. 

"  Oh,  it's  all  right.  The  ship's  surgeon  will 
welcome  a  little  professional  exercise.  I'll  be  the 
first  patient,  as  we're  not  out  far  enough  for  the 
seasickness  practice  yet." 


92  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

He  turned  toward  Rusty,  who  was  making  a 
mental  comparison  of  the  room  with  the  steam- 
boat cabins  back  on  the  Ohio  River.  Rusty  de- 
cided that  even  the  old  Gallia  Queen,  in  her  palm- 
iest days,  could  not  have  been  much  more  re- 
splendent than  this  "  foreign  "  boat ! 

"  You  can  go  back  and  rest  yourself,  Rusty," 
suggested  Jarvis.  "  And,  listen — what's  the 
number  of  the  stateroom?  " 

"  Seven-twenty-nine,  sir." 

"  How  did  you  get  the  tickets,  in  my  name  ? 
I  was  registered  differently  at  the  other  hotel." 

"  Oh,  I  jest  told  'em  dey  was  for  Mr.  R.  Snow, 
a  rich  Southern  gentleman.  When  I  gits  down 
here,  I  tells  Mr.  Snow  has  decided  to  send  his 
repersentative !  Den  I  had  de  name  changed — 
dat's  all,  Marse  Warren." 

Maria  Theresa  smiled  again,  and  Rusty  ac- 
cepted it  as  a  supreme  compliment. 

"  You  are  a  diplomat,  Rusty,"  she  said. 

"  No,  lady — I  mean,  Mrs.  Princess.  .  .  .  I'm 
a  Republican,"  and  Rusty  started  for  the  door. 

"  Go  lock  yourself  in  there,  and  don't  talk  to 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE    93 

anyone.  Remember  you  are  deaf  and  dumb. 
Understand,  deaf  and  dumb !  " 

"  Yassir — dumb's  de  word !  " 

As  the  door  closed  behind  him,  the  girl  turned 
toward  Jarvis,  a  troubled  cloud  overshadowing 
her  pleasant  features. 

"  There  is  something  I  must  tell  you  .  .  .  my 
cousin,  the  Duke  of  Alva,  is  on  board  of  the  Mau- 
retania." 

He  smiled  whimsically  as  he  replied,  "  Yes,  and 
he  professes  to  love  you  devotedly." 

She  flushed  furiously,  and  looked  at  the  pattern 
of  the  rug. 

"You  overheard?" 

"  I  underheard.  The  trunk  was  not  my  idea 
but  yours,  you  know.  .  .  .  You're  afraid  of 
that  man,  too.  What's  the  trouble?  He's  very 
sure  of  himself,  isn't  he?  " 

The  girl  hesitated,  and  then  replied  almost 
timidly : 

"  Carlos  is  very  powerful.  ...  I  may  be 
driven  into  his  hands." 

"  You  mean  he  may  make  you  marry  him?  " 


94  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Yes  ...  if  you  fail,"  and  she  cast  an  ap- 
prehensive glance  toward  the  door  to  the  prome- 
nade deck. 

"  If  I  fail,"  and  Warren  was  dumfounded, 
even  after  the  unreal  scenes  which  had  prologued 
this  situation.  "  If  7  fail.  What  do  you  mean? 
Wait  a  minute — let  me  get  my  bearings :  things 
are  coming  too  fast  and  furious  for  my  poor  in- 
telligence. .  .  .  I — you — the  Duke — how  do  I 
fit  in?" 

The  girl  tried  to  regain  her  composure. 

"  You  mustn't  ask  now :  take  things  for  granted 
until  we  can  explain  them  together,  alone.  He 
may  come  in  any  minute.  I  can  tell  you  before 
we  get  to  the  castle." 

Warren  lost  his  patience. 

"  I  think  I  should  know  about  this  castle  non- 
sense now.  I  admit  you  saved  me  from  the 
police  last  night — although  undoubtedly  they  may 
be  on  board  the  ship  now,  for  we  have  not  passed 
the  three-mile  limit  yet.  Can't  you  be  frank  with 
me,  in  spite  of  that  ridiculous  oath  of  allegiance 
which  I  took?" 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE    95 

"  It  was  not  ridiculous,  Mr.  Jarvis.  It  was  in 
life-and-death  earnestness.  I  would  not  have  felt 
that  I  could  truly  trust  you  unless  you  had  gone 
through  that.  Remember,  I  am  a  product  of  a 
different  civilization  from  your  own :  I  am  still 
superstitious,  if  you  please  to  term  it  so,  in  the 
Old- World  sense.  I  speak  your  language,  and  in- 
deed think  in  it  with  you.  But  back  in  the  inner 
shrine  of  my  being  I  am  a  Spanish  woman,  true 
to  my  heredity.  You  are  essentially  an  American 
— droll,  well-balanced,  cynical — and  oblivious  to 
any  other  national  psychology  than  your  own." 

The  girl's  earnestness  was  droll. 

"  I  am  a  bit  hard  and  unsympathetic,"  agreed 
Warren  softly.  "  I  did  not  mean  to  be  so.  You 
and  I  came  into  each  other's  lives  in  a  wild  unreal 
way  which  an  outsider  would  hardly  believe  possi- 
ble. The  truest  thing  in  real  life  is  its  melo- 
dramatic, unbelievable  unrealism.  That's  where 
the  novelists,  the  poets,  and  the  play-makers  have 
a  terrific  handicap  against  them.  Things  which 
happen  every  day  would  be  ridiculed  in  print. 
The  great  rule  of  actual  existence  is :  'It  can't 


96  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

be  possible,  but  it  is! '  But,  while  we  have  time, 
tell  me  my  cues,  for  I  share  your  opinion  of  the 
Duke  of  Alva.  I  would  never  nominate  him  for 
President ! " 

The  girl  wrung  her  hands  nervously — the  first 
signs  he  had  seen  of  a  spiritual  weakening. 

"  I  am  completely  in  the  dark,"  added  Jarvis; 
"  I'm  just  a  plain  man,  not  a  mindreader.  Let's 
get  down  to  brass  tacks !  " 

She  did  not  understand  the  local  idiom.  But 
she  realized  that  at  last  she  had  found  a  sym- 
pathetic confessor. 

"  I  hardly  know  where  to  begin.  It  seems  ab- 
surd— in  this  pleasant  day-lit  stateroom — to  talk 
of  ghosts.  But  the  fact  is  that  my  family  castle 
is  haunted." 

Jarvis  was  lighting  another  cigarette  from  the 
battered  silver  case;  he  burned  his  fingers,  as  he 
studied  her,  in  surprise.  Then  he  laughed  provok- 
ingly.  "  So  I  gathered  from  your  amiable  cousin. 
What  kind  of  specters?  Of  the  Hamlet  variety 
or  the  old  maid  brand  ?  " 

She  answered  very  seriously. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE    97 

"  Call  it  anything  you  like.  But  my  castle  is 
haunted,  just  the  same.  This  is  absolutely  a  case 
of  facts,  which  mean  so  much  to  me  that  I  would 
not  exaggerate  now!  My  grandfather  was  one  of 
the  wealthiest  nobles  in  Spain.  When  he  died  my 
father  went  to  take  possession  of  the  family 
estates  in  Seguro.  The  little  town — as  you  count 
populations  in  America — was  buzzing  with  weird 
stories  of  uncanny  things  and  supernatural  hap- 
penings in  the  old  castle  on  the  hill.  It  was 
deserted,  after  centuries  of  loyal  occupancy.  All 
the  retainers  had  deserted  their  posts  and  fled. 
All  told  of  a  weird,  horrible  thing  in  armor  which 
stalked  the  ancestral  halls  at  night — of  agonized 
groans,  clanking  chains,  infernal  fumes  of  sul- 
phur— you  know  how  ghost  stories  run?  " 

"  I  know  the  ghost  stories,  and  most  of  the 
people  who  tell  them  run  because  of  their  own 
yellow  streaks !  "  retorted  Warren.  "  But,  go  on, 
your  Highness.  It's  fascinating — I  haven't  heard 
a  good  '  hant '  yarn  since  old  Mammy  Chloe  died, 
back  at  Meadow  Green." 

She  pouted,  for  his  cynicism  struck  home.     Yet 


98  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

was  she  earnest,  and  again  she  endeavored  to  im- 
press him. 

"  Laugh,  sir,  as  much  as  you  please.  My  father 
laughed  the  same  way.  He  called  them  silly,  ig- 
norant peasant  tales.  He  said  he  would  show 
them  that  it  was  now  the  twentieth  century,  and 
teach  them  how  foolish  were  their  fears." 

She  hesitated.  Her  dark  eyes  burned  as  she 
continued  slowly :  "  He  went  there,  Mr.  Jarvis. 
He  went  there !  He  was  never  seen  again !  " 

The  Kentuckian  leaned  forward,  engrossed. 

"  What  happened  ?  " 

"  No  one  knows.  He  disappeared — vanished 
utterly,  without  the  slightest  clew.  Grandfather's 
treasure  was  never  found !  " 

"  Oh,  what  treasure?  "  Jarvis  was  almost  rude 
in  his  impatient  interest. 

"  The  fortune  he  left.  You  know,  grandfather 
converted  all  his  wealth  into  Spanish  gold  to 
finance  a  Spanish  colonization  scheme  in  the  West 
Indies.  It  amounted  to  about  a  million  dollars 
in  your  American  money." 

Warren  whistled,  and  twisted  his  intertwined 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE    99 

fingers  about  an  elevated  knee — whose  ache  had 
been  forgotten. 

"  That's  a  ripping  good  yarn.  When  did  all 
this  happen  ? " 

"  Fifteen  years  ago.  Since  then,  two  other 
men  disappeared  in  the  same  horrible  manner  as 
my  father  did.  Not  a  trace  of  their  leaving:  it 
is  so  horrible  that  it  makes  my  heart  creep  to  tell 
it.  And  yet  you  scoff !  " 

"  I'm  sorry,"  he  said  penitently.  "  But  what's 
the  latest  news  from  the  trenches  ?  " 

"  Now  the  Duke  tells  me  that  my  brother  has 
entered  the  fatal  castle  .  .  .  you  see  that  daring 
runs  in  the  blood !  Up  to  a  week  ago  he  had  sent 
me  a  cable  every  day.  Everything  was  well  until 
Sunday."  Then  his  messages  stopped.  All  this 
week  there  has  not  been  a  word,  not  even  an.- 
swering  my  cables !  " 

Warren  digested  this  in  silence  for  a  moment. 

"  Why  did  your  Highness  leave  Spain,  knowing 
all  this?" 

"  Well,  Mr.  Jarvis,  a  part  of  the  legend  tells 
that  my  grandfather  had  drawn  a  secret  map 


ioo  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

showing  exactly  where  his  treasure  was  located. 
It  was  not  safe  to  let  the  public  know  where 
wealth  was  located,  fifteen  years  ago,  in  Spain." 

"  From  the  extremely  businesslike  devotion  of 
that  ghost,  it  doesn't  seem  that  conditions  have 
improved  in  the  district  of  your  exalted  estates !  " 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Jarvis,  can't  you  be  serious  ?  I 
learned  from  an  old  letter  to  my  grandmother, 
from  her  husband  the  Prince,  that  this  plan  had 
been  hidden  in  the  back-clasp  of  a  locket  contain- 
ing her  miniature.  Without  letting  my  brother 
know  of  the  secret,  for  fear  that  he  would  fool- 
ishly tell  it,  I  engaged  a  secret-service  man  from 
Paris  to  look  the  matter  up.  When  my  grand- 
parents died,  much  of  the  estate  was  sold — for  the 
Spanish-American  War  had  wrought  havoc  with 
the  family  income.  That  locket  had  been  sold  to 
an  American  collector,  and  I  came  to  America 
just  in  time  to  save  it  from  being  sold  to  some 
museum.  I  pawned  my  mother's  jewels  to  buy  it 
That  was  the  locket  which  dropped  from  the 
trunk,  in  my  bedroom  last  night." 

"  And  you  have  the  locket?  " 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE     lot 

"  Yes — but  not  my  brother !  " 

"  Ah,  then,  my  particular  chore  as  vassal  to 
this  haunted  family  is  to  find  your  brother  and 
solve  the  mystery?  In  other  words,  you  want 
me  to  put  this  infernal,  tin-plated,  panhandling 
ghost  out  of  his  misery?" 

"  Yes  .  .  .  Mr.  Jarvis !  "  and  the  Princess  was 
more  humble  than  he  had  noticed  her  during  the 
hours  of  their  acquaintance.  "  Are  you  fright- 
ened by  the  ghost  ?  " 

"  You  asked  that  question  before.  Where  I 
came  from  only  negroes  and  poor  whites  fear  the 
departed  spirits.  Perhaps  this  spirit  is  not  as 
departed  as  circumstances  would  indicate.  But, 
how  about  the  Duke  ?  What  is  his  interest  in  the 
ghost?" 

"  He  fears  it,  too.  He  has  begged  me  to  stay 
away  from  the  wretched  castle  altogether.  If  it 
were  not  for  my  brother's  future,  and  the  for- 
tune of  the  family — his  family,  and  perhaps  .  .  . 
my  family  .  .  .  some  day  ...  I  would  shun  the 
place.  We  are  not  completely  destitute,  you 
know!" 


102  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Jarvis  studied  the  luxurious  furnishings  of  the 
cabin,  the  jewels  and  aristocratic  modishness  of 
the  girl's  attire,  and  nodded. 

"  I  imagine  you're  not !  But  this  high,  exalted, 
and  altogether  superior  cousin  of  yours  is  far 
from  being  a  fool.  He  will  want  to  know  how, 
where,  why  you  met  me.  And  what  he  doesn't 
know,  contrary  to  the  usual  theory,  is  apt  to  in- 
terfere with  his  sleep.  Beware,  your  Highness, 
of  men  who  cannot  sleep  o'night — they  think  al- 
together too  shrewdly ! " 

The  girl  was  worried. 

"  He  will  ask  dreadful  questions.  I  know  him, 
Mr.  Jarvis ! " 

"  So  do  I.  Will  you  tell  him  you  have  made 
of  me  a  .  .  .  perfectly  good  vassal  ?  " 

"  I  think  not — just  yet "  and  there  was  a  shy- 
ness in  her  manner. 

Jarvis  looked  adown  his  nose,  and  there  was  a 
smile  on  the  firm  lips  below  it ! 

"  By  the  way,  Mrs.  Princess — as  Rusty  so  beau- 
tifully phrases  it — just  how  should  a  vassal,  a 
fine  A-number-One  vassal,  address  his  liege-lady 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  THE  CASTLE     103' 

and  the  owner  of  his  soul  ?  What  is  the  au  fait 
procedure  in  this  case  ?  You  know  I  am  only  an 
ignorant  pig  of  an  American !  " 

She  hesitated,  embarrassed,  and  then  answered : 
"  Highness — is  correct !  " 

"  Highness !  I  had  imagined  so — incidentally 
we  were  introduced  by  Fate  on  the  eleventh  floor, 
as  I  recollect.  Tell  me,  Highness :  a  vassal  doesn't 
amount  to  much,  does  he?  I  always  considered 
him  a  piker !  " 

She  was  mystified.  These  phrases  had  not  been 
in  the  curriculum  of  the  exclusively  proper  Eng- 
lish boarding-school. 

"  A  piker — a  soldier  who  carries  a  pike  ?  " 

"  No,  just  a  pawn  in  this  human  game  of  chess 
— along  with  the  queens,  and  kings,  and  castles 
— and  knights !  .  .  .  But  I  have  known  of  a  pawn 
saving  a  game,  in  the  hands  of  an  expert.  By 
the  way,  and  apropos  of  nothing-whatever-at-all, 
could  a  good,  hard-working,  reliable,  moral, 
union-labeled  vassal  work  his  way  up  to  a  good 
job — such  as  a  Duke  or  a  Lord,  or  something 
like  that?" 


104  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

She  caught  the  drift  of  his  quizzical  humor, 
and  retorted  in  kind. 

"  You're  an  ambitious  vassal.  Such  men  have 
occasionally  lost  their  heads — literally  speaking. 
I'm  afraid  you  wouldn't  be  content  with  anything 
less  than  a  kingship." 

The  Kentuckian  spoke  with  meaning  behind 
his  jest. 

"  A  king — a  prince — or  a  bandit"!  " 

"  A  bandit — why  a  bandit?  That  is  essentially 
Spanish ! " 

Jarvis  lit  another  cigarette. 

"  A  king  could  command — a  prince  might  re- 
quest— a  bandit  generally  seizes !  " 

"  What  ?  "  and  the  woman  emerged  from  the 
hauteur  of  the  royal  personality. 

"  That  which  a  vassal  can  only  admire !  " 


VIII 
THE  NEW  PROFESSION 

A  KNOCK  on  the  door  brought  them  both 
back  to — the  deck  of  the  Mauretania,  with 
terra  firma  not  so  far  distant  below ! 
"  There  he  is  now,"  she  whispered  nervously. 
'  'Who  shall  I  say  you  are  ?    And  what  ?  " 

"  Oh,  any  old  thing — Warren,  Mr.  Warren. 
Leave  the  classification  to  me.  Self-identification 
is  an  American  trait !  " 

She  crossed  the  cabin,  and  after  a  timid  pause 
opened  the  door. 

"  Come  in,"  she  murmured. 
"  Ah,  I'm  intruding,"  exclaimed  Carlos,  Duke 
of  Alva,  with  an  intonation  which  expressed  an 
invitation  for  Warren  Jarvis  to  make  a  graceful 
exit. 

"  Not  at  all,"  blankly  observed  Jarvis.     "  I've 
just  been  discussing  my  professional  task  at  the 
105 


io6  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

castle;  as  a  member  of  the  family  you  can  give 
me  some  good  working  material." 

"  I  don't  understand,"  spluttered  Carlos,  taken 
aback. 

"  Pardon  me,  cousin.  This  is  Mr.  Warren,  of 
America,  who  has  consented  to  help  me.  My 
cousin,  the  Duke  of  Alva,"  She  walked  behind 
the  two  men,  comparing  them  keenly :  the  deadly 
parallel  column  was  not  at  all  unfavorable  to  the 
insouciant  Kentuckian. 

"  Glad  to  know  you,"  volunteered  Jarvis. 
"  Have  a  cigarette  ?  " 

"  I  never  smoke  in  the  presence  of  ladies,"  re- 
torted the  Duke.  Then  with  a  patronizing  air 
he  added :  "  I  am  honored  to  meet  you,  sir,  if  you 
are  in  my  royal  cousin's  employ.  So,  you  are 
interested  in  the  castle  ?  " 

"  Oh,  not  so  much  in  the  castle  as  in  the  ghost. 
I'll  attend  to  him." 

"  And  is  that  your  regular  profession  ?  " 

"  You  are  a  good  guesser,  my  dear  Duke.  That 
is  my  business — solving  mysteries — locking  up 
family  skeletons — chasing  spooks  and  putting  salt 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION  107 

on  their  tails.  We  have  a  professional  name  for 
it  in  the  United  States." 

"  And  what  is  that,  sir?  "  asked  Carlos,  uncer- 
tain whether  to  be  affronted  or  to  draw  out  this 
strange  bird  to  a  confidence.  A  quick  glance  at 
his  cousin's  immobile  face  gave  him  no  hint. 

Jarvis  continued  amiably. 

"  We  are  living  in  an  age  of  specialists.  You 
have  doubtless  heard  of  Farley  the  Strike  Breaker, 
of  Roosevelt  the  Trust  Breaker.  I  forgot  to  bring 
my  business  cards  with  me;  but  if  I  may  be  so 
immodest  as  to  tell  the  truth,  I  am  known  from 
Bowling  Green  to  the  Golden  Gate  as  Warren 
the  Ghost  Breaker!" 

This  astounding  news  fairly  took  the  Duke 
off  his  feet.  He  mentally  clawed  the  air  for  his 
equilibrium. 

"  Madre  de  Dios! "  ejaculated  the  Duke,  drop- 
ping his  sword-cane.  As  he  recovered  from  his 
astonishment,  the  Princess  interceded :  "  I  am  so 
glad  you  came.  I  promised  the  Ghost  Breaker 
that  you  would-  join  us  shortly.  You  will  be  able 
to  tell  him,  so  much  better  than  I,  of  all  the 


io8  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

strange  circumstances.  I  have  only  given  him  a 
rough  outline  of  what  happened  up  to  the  time 
I  left  my  brother  on  his  way  to  the  castle." 

Carlos  sank  into  a  chair,  irritated  at  the  Ameri- 
can's disinterested  lack  of  courtesy:  Jarvis  had 
not  even  risen  from  his  seat  on  the  trunk.  Some- 
how or  other  Carlos  despised  that  trunk ! 

"  I  will  be  delighted  to  throw  any  possible  light 
on  the  mystery  of  the  castle.  But  first  let  us  leave 
your  brother  in  peace,  to  let  me  know  why  you 
came  to  America  ?  " 

Maria  Theresa  drew  the  locket  from  her  reti- 
cule. 

"  This  is  what  brought  me." 

"May  I  see  it?"  and  the  Duke  held  out  his 
hand,  ingratiatingly.  "  What  a  charming  old  an- 
tique ! " 

"  No,  Carlos.  Rather  you  may  see  the  locket, 
but  not  the  memorandum  in  the  back." 

The  Duke  registered  an  expression  of  polite 
surprise. 

"  Memorandum  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  and  the  Princess  removed  a  small  bit 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION  109 

of  paper  from  the  ivory  back,  swinging  it  forward 
to  her  cousin's  hand,  on  the  long  silver  chain. 
The  nobleman's  dark  face  assumed  a  ruddier  hue, 
as  he  caught  the  trinket  in  fingers  which  Jarvis 
noticed  were  trembling  in  tell-tale  manner.  Jarvis 
watched  the  two  of  them  in  silence. 

"  It's  a  curious  old  piece  of  work.  And  you 
came  all  the  way  to  New  York  to  get  it? " 

"  Yes." 

"  You  were  fortunate  to  find  it  so  soon." 

"  I  knew  where  to  find  it,  Carlos;  yet  I  was  al- 
most too  late.  Think  of  it,  after  that  dear  old 
family  heirloom  had  lain  in  an  antique  shop  for 
nearly  ten  years — suddenly  there  came  two  in- 
quiries for  it  in  a  day,  two  beside  my  own.  The 
first  was  from  a  distinguished-looking  gentleman 
who  had  called  early  in  the  morning,  describing  it 
roughly  to  the  old  man,  urging  him  to  hunt  for  it. 
It  took  an  hour  to  find  it — and  I  happened  to 
come  in  at  the  end  of  the  hour.  I  doubled  the 
offer  of  a  museum  collector,  and  trebled  that  of 
the  distinguished-looking  gentleman.  I  secured 
it." 


no  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Here,  the  Princess  shot  a  sharp  look  into  the 
half-closed  eyes  of  the  Duke. 

"  Who  do  you  suppose  could  have  wanted  that 
locket  but  myself,  Carlos  ?  " 

"  I  suppose,"  and  it  was  the  assumed  indiffer- 
ence of  a  cornered  schemer,  "  it  has  already 
occurred  to  you  that  I  am  the  'distinguished- 
looking  gentleman.'  Has  it,  cousin?" 

The  girl's  curiosity  piqued  her. 

"  But  how  did  you  learn  about  the  memoran- 
dum, Carlos  ?  " 

"  I  didn't,  cousin.  I  had  not  the  slightest  sus- 
picion that  the  locket  contained  an  important 
secret;  I  doubt  it  now.  I  was  merely  following 
my  pet  hobby,  in  addition  to  a  little  family  senti- 
ment. I  wanted  to  recover  some  of  those  precious 
heirlooms  which  had  been  scattered  to  the  four 
winds." 

"  When  did  you  know  that  this  one  had  been 
scattered  to  New  York, — on  your  last  visit  to 
the  boulevards  of  Paris  ?  "  And  Jarvis'  smile  was 
as  ingenuous  as  that  of  a  babe  of  two. 

The  Duke  of  Alva  scowled.     There  seemed 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION          in 

something  uncanny  in  the  sharpness  of  this 
American;  but  he  prided  himself  upon  the  power 
of  diplomacy. 

"  I  have  seldom  been  in  Paris :  they  are  not  so 
much  interested  in  antiques  as  in  very  lively  mod- 
erns, Mr.  Ghost  Breaker !  .  .  .  But  there,  you  in- 
terrupted my  thought !  You  would  be  surprised 
to  see  the  collection  which  I  have  already  rescued, 
and  which,  Maria,  will  some  day  be  yours.  You 
Americans  are  not  noted  as  really  astute  collect- 
ors, Mr.  Jarvis." 

"  Well,  our  collectors  who  don't  worry  over 
millions  are  frequently  stung  by  clever  counter- 
feits. But  we  laboring  men,  who  must  devote 
all  our  time  to  our  work,  are  usually  able  to  tell 
imitations  from  the  real  thing.  We  are  not  im- 
pressed by  '  four-flushing,'  your  Excellency !  " 

The  Duke  scowled  at  Warren,  vainly  attempt- 
ing to  divine  the  meaning  of  the  Yankee  slang. 
But  the  Kentuckian  was  impatient :  he  knew  that 
debates  were  seldom  as  productive  as  labor  in  a 
workshop,  when  it  came  down  to  fundamentals. 

Carlos  was  impatiently  interrupted. 


ii2  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Well,  so  much  for  the  treasure — let's  hear 
about  the  ghost.  Of  course  I'm  certain  that 
there's  no  connection  between  the  two,  in  such 
an  aristocratic  land  as  Spain,  which  scoffs  at  the 
American  pursuit  of  the  miserable,  despised  dol- 
lar. .  .  .  What's  your  private  opinion  of  this 
ghost  ?  Is  he  a  real,  dependable,  hell-bent  spook, 
deserving  all  this  press  stuff  which  has  been  given 
to  him  ?  I've  had  so  much  experience  with  spirits 
— being  a  native  Kentuckian — that  they  must  be 
loo-proof  to  interest  me !  ...  Do  you  really  put 
any  stock  in  ghosts,  Duke?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Warren,  I  am  convinced  that  there 
are  such  things.  This  world  is  filled  with  evi- 
dences of  the  supernatural." 

"  Then  you  honestly  believe  this  castle  is 
haunted  ?  " 

"I  know  it!"  And  the  Duke's  black  eyes 
sparkled  with  an  intensity  which  had  its  effect 
even  upon  the  cynical  Warren  Jarvis. 

"  So  you  think  this  ghost  is  dangerous  to  en- 
counter— that  it  is  the  cause  of  the  mysterious 
deaths  and  disappearances  in  the  old  castle  ?  " 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION  113 

"  I  do,  Mr.  Warren !  " 

Jarvis  whistled  meditatively.  The  Duke  looked 
disgusted;  this  was  so  absolutely  against  all  rules 
of  his  own  conduct  with  women. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  know  about  that?  " 

Warren  was  again  silent.  The  Duke  was  tabu- 
lating his  own  material  and  preparing  his  next 
charge  of  ammunition. 

"  Ghost  is  a  broad  term,  your  Excellency. 
There  are  fifty-seven  varieties  of  them,  just  like 
good  pickles.  They're  equally  bad  for  the  diges- 
tion. What  is  you  particular  conception  of  this 
particular  ghost  ?  " 

The  Duke  answered  impatiently. 

"  There  are  certain  occult  forces  in  this  world, 
Mr.  Warren,  that  science  cannot  classify  or 
fathom.  Some  of  them  are  at  work  in  that  castle, 
manifesting  their  weird  powers.  A  priest  might 
call  them  demons  or  fiends — a  psychologist  might 
term  them,  perhaps,  returned  spirits.  ...  I  can't 
say;  but  I  have  been  there,  and  heard  their  curious 
warnings  and  manifestations.  There  is  something 
definable  there,  in  the  periphery  of  those  ancient 


ii4  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

ruins.  A  malignant  spiritual  force  lurks  within 
that  mediaeval  stronghold.  While  it  haunts  those 
musty  halls  it  is  madness  for  any  man  to  expose 
himself  there." 

"  You  could  write  a  good  book  on  it,  Duke," 
observed  Jarvis  irreverently.  "  Have  you  ever 
seen  this  ghost  ?  " 

"  My  brother  has,"  interrupted  Maria  Theresa 
impetuously.  "  Twice,  to  my  knowledge,  before 
I  left  Seguro.  So  had  my  father  and  the  others 
who  disappeared  from  human  ken !  " 

"  Good  Lord !  "  and  there  was  a  touch  of  the 
mock-heroic  in  the  Kentuckian's  voice,  which  es- 
caped his  companions. 

"  According  to  the  family  tradition,"  continued 
the  Princess,  "  no  one  has  ever  seen  it  three 
times,  and  lived  to  tell  the  story." 

"  How  do  you  connect  this  gentlemanly  spook 
with  the  treasure,  your  Excellency?"  burst  in 
Jarvis,  with  a  swift  look  of  interrogation  which 
discomfited  the  nobleman. 

"Spook?  Treasure?  I  see  no  connection. 
What  do  you  mean  ?  " 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION  115 

"  Oh,  there  is  always  money  when  the  ghost 
walks,"  was  the  mysterious  reply  of  the  Ameri- 
can, wasted  on  the  untheatrical  Spaniards. 
"  That  is  the  first  premise  upon  which  a  reliable 
scientific  Ghost  Breaker  begins  his  task  of  in- 
vestigation." 

"  I  don't  know  what  your  experience  may  have 
been,  Mr.  Warren.  You  are  evidently  a  brave 
man,  but  you  have  yet  to  encounter  a  ghost  like 
this  supernatural  spirit.  Things  are  different  in 
the  Old  World!" 

Warren  Jarvis  sniffed. 

"  Huh !  Brave  ?  It  takes  no  bravery  to  fight  a 
coward — that  is  what  the  ghost  is.  It's  a  coward 
like  every  other  stealthy,  sneaking  spirit,  afraid 
to  show  itself  by  daylight,  in  the  glare  of  the 
sun.  I  can  tell  you  now  that  men  are  not  half 
so  afraid  of  spirits  as  the  spirits  are  afraid  of 
men.  If  you  face  the  supernatural,  it  is  more 
than  half  beaten  to  a  frazzle,  before  the  fight  be- 
gins. In  my  professional  career  I  have  learned 
that  ghosts,  horse  thieves,  and  peevish  wildcats 
can  all  be  tamed  by  the  same  little  charm/' 


ii6  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

The  Princess  was  mystified. 

"  Charm  ?    What  do  you  mean — a  relic  ?  " 

The  Duke  leaned  forward,  his  eyes  sparkling 
with  interest. 

"What  is  it?" 

"  I'd  hate  to  tell  you,"  responded  Warren 
Jarvis.  "It's  part  of  my  system." 

And  he  forthwith  drew  out  the  revolver,  ca- 
ressing it  with  an  unmistakable  confidence. 

"  I  had  been  hoping,  Mr.  Warren,"  remarked 
the  Duke,  "  that  you  had  some  subtle  method 
worthy  of  handling  this  problem,  and  justifying 
the  reputation  for  such  work  which  you  say  you 
maintain  through  America.  You  evidently  pro- 
pose to  meet  the  forces  of  the  supernatural  with 
firearms.  ...  I  may  as  well  tell  you  that  this 
specter  has  been  shot  at  before  without  the  slight- 
est effect." 

The  Kentuckian  smiled  gently. 

"  Quite  likely,  your  Excellency.  I  have  seen 
rifle-fire  that  had  not  the  slightest  effect  on  a 
wildcat  for  the  simple  reason  that  the  firing  was 
wilder  than  the  cat !  " 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION  117 

The  Duke  of  Alva  bestowed  a  pitying  glance 
upon  the  weapon  and  its  owner. 

"  I'm  sorry  for  you,  Mr.  Warren.  You  will 
find  that  the  ghost  is  more  real  than  the  treasure." 

The  Princess  arose  indignantly.  She  inter- 
rupted, with  feminine  betrayal  of  her  own  hand. 

"  But  the  treasure  is  real,  Carlos.  Would  I 
have  crossed  the  ocean  for  this  locket  unless  I 
knew  ?  " 

Carlos  looked  at  her  sharply. 

"  I  know  I  am  right,  now,  Carlos.  With  the 
memorandum  which  I  found  inside  the  old  locket, 
anyone,  a  total  stranger,  could  walk  right  up  to 
the  very  stone  that  hides  it." 

There  was  a  meaning  tone  in  Jarvis'  voice,  as 
he  added :  "  A  pretty  dangerous  paper  to  have 
around — look  out  that  somebody  else  doesn't  get 
there  ahead  of  you," 

The  Duke  shot  back  a  quick  answer  to  the 
message  between  the  words :  "  Yes,  it  is  a  dan- 
gerous paper — if  it  leads  anyone  into  the  castle." 

"  Well,  despite  the  danger  and  the  threats  of 
— the  ghost — I'd  go  a  long  way  for  the  fun  of 


n8  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

unraveling  a  good  mystery  with  a  little  spice  of 
danger  thrown  in." 

The  Duke  scowled,  and  then  with  a  peculiar 
emphasis  on  his  words  drew  a  newspaper  from 
the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat. 

"  You  needn't  have  taken  such  a  long  trip,  Mr. 
Warren.  You  are  leaving  behind  you,  in  New 
York,  a  very  interesting  and  unusual  mystery. 
The  papers  are  full  of  the  story  to-day.  ...  It 
will  interest  you  too,  cousin.  You  were  stopping 
at  the  Manhattan  Hotel  last  night,  I  believe  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  girl  indifferently;  but  she  and 
Jarvis  exchanged  eloquent  glances. 

The  Duke  was  reading  with  unusual  interest,  it 
seemed  to  Jarvis. 

"  Why,  no  .  .  ."  he  began.  "  I  was  so  wrapped 
up  in  my  baggage  that  I  really  didn't  have  the 
time  nor  inclination  to  bother  with  the  scandal 
of  the  day.  Tell  us  about  it?  " 

The  nobleman  began  to  read: 

[ '  Pistol  duel  in  Manhattan  Hotel.  .  .  .  Colonel 
James  Marcum,  a  wealthy  and  prominent  Ken- 
tucky sportsman,  nearly  met  death  at  an  early 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION  119 

hour  this  morning  in  a  revolver  battle  in  his  hotel 
room  .  .  .'  " 

He  glanced  down  the  column  and  continued : 

" '  Even  at  a  late  hour  the  police  had  no  clew 
to  the  identity  of  his  assailant,  except  the  re- 
markable fact  that  the  person  is  still  hiding  some- 
where in  the  hotel  .  .  . '  " 

The  Kentuckian  interrupted : 

"  The  villain  is  probably  a  long  way  from  the 
hotel  by  this  time  if  he  knows  what's  what !  " 

"  But  they  say  he  couldn't  have  gotten  out 
without  being  seen,"  continued  the  Duke,  still 
studying  the  printed  column. 

"  Oh,  that's  the  theory  of  the  reporters. 
They'd  lose  their  jobs  if  they  ever  told  the  real 
truth  in  a  criminal  case,"  remarked  Jarvis  coolly. 
"  Don't  believe  what  the  papers  say — unless  it's 
nice  and  about  yourself ! " 

"  Well,  Mr.  Ghost  Breaker,  what  is  your  own 
opinion?  You  are  an  expert  in  these  matters," 
insisted  the  Duke.  "  This  affair  interests  me." 

Jarvis  was  more  than  nonchalant. 

"  He  might  have  escaped  in  a  thousand  ways. 


120  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

But  such  work  is  not  in  my  line :  that's  '  gum- 
shoe '  stuff — for  plain  common  or  garden  detec- 
tives." 

Nita  entered  the  cabin,  and  Maria  Theresa 
arose  uncertainly. 

"  I'll  call  you  when  I  need  you,  Nita."  There 
was  some  hidden  portent  in  her  tone  which  Jarvis 
failed  to  divine.  He  decided  that  discretion  was 
the  better  part  of  valor.  He  rose,  and  walked 
toward  the  door  to  the  promenade  deck. 

"  We  are  keeping  you  from  getting  settled,  I 
fear,"  he  declared.  "  So,  if  you'll  excuse  me  at 
this  time,  I'll  hope  to  see  you  at  luncheon.  .  .  . 
And  as  for  you,  Duke,  it's  a  great  pleasure  to  meet 
your  Excellency." 

Carlos  bowed  with  military  grace. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Warren.  I  find  you  most 
interesting.  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  more  of  your 
remarkable  profession.  Good-morning,  sir." 

The  Kentuckian  turned  away. 

As  Warren  reached  the  deck  door  there  was  a 
knock  upon  the  portal  to  the  cabin  passage. 

Nita  followed  him,  and  then  turned  to  open 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION          121 

the  second  entrance.  Two  pompous,  red-cheeked, 
red-necked  individuals  stepped  forward,  without 
so  much  as  a  "  by-your-leave !  " 

The  first  one  spoke,  reading  from  a  smudgy 
memorandum  book. 

"  You  are  Miss  M.  T.  Ar-r-ragan?  " 

The  Princess  acquiesced. 

"You  was  at  the  Hotel  Manhattan  last 
night  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  The  lock  on  your  bedroom  door  was 
broken  ?  " 

"Yes?" 

The  speaker  jerked  back  the  left  lapel  of  his 
coat,  displaying  a  silver  badge  with  great  satisfac- 
tion. 

"  I  am  from  headquarters,  madame,  and  I  have 
orders  to  clear  up  one  or  two  little  matters  con- 
nected with  that  affair  at  the  hotel  last  night." 

The  speaker  glared  at  them  suspiciously. 

The  chivalry  of  Spain  asserted  itself.  The 
Duke  stepped  forward  with  spirit,  gripping  the 
cane  as  though  it  were  a  cavalry  saber. 


122  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Orders — orders — what  orders  ?  To  break 
into  this  lady's  private  cabin?  What  headquar- 
ters?" 

"  It  seems  to  me,  bo,  that  you're  in  a  lady's 
private  cabin  yourself.  I'm  from  police  head- 
quarters, bo !  " 

"  Do  you  know  whom  you  are  addressing,  fel- 
low?" 

"  Say,  nix  on  this  fellow  stuff.  That'll  be  about 
all  from  you." 

Maria  Theresa  interceded  with  her  winsome 
grace  and  irresistible  smile. 

"  Yes,  Carlos,  let  me  attend  to  the  matter. 
Won't  you  come  into  the  cabin,  gentlemen,  and  be 
seated?" 

The  two  detectives  beamed,  their  bosoms 
heaved  with  pride  at  this  unexpected  recognition 
of  their  importance.  They  entered,  waving  away 
the  steward  and  closing  the  cabin  door  behind 
them. 

"  We're  just  been  discussing  that  mystery,  In- 
spector !  "  observed  Jarvis,  coming  nearer  and 
taking  his  seat  upon  the  trunk  once  more.  This 


THE  NEW  PROFESSION  123 

irritated  the  Duke,  who  added :  "  You  are,  I  take 
it,  one  of  the  '  gum  shoes  '  ?  " 

Jarvis  turned  toward  Maria  Theresa,  disre- 
garding all  properties  due  to  the  presence  of  the 
aristocracy,  and  yielded  to  that  nervous  twitching 
of  the  left  eye  which  expresses  such  manifold 
meaning  with  such  minimum  of  sound ! 

The  detective  whirled  about,  from  his  scrutiny 
of  the  cabin,  walking  toward  the  Duke.  He 
fairly  howled  in  the  surprised  nobleman's  face : 

"  Gum  shoe !    Say,  are  you  trying  to  kid  me?  " 

The  Duke  replied  with  asperity: 

"  Well,  sir.  You  are  speaking  rather  loudly. 
I  presume  that  I  have  offended  you?  " 

"  You  presume !  I  should  say  you  do.  That's 
a  hot  one.  Who  are  you,  anyway  ?  " 

"  I  am  Carlos,  Hernando  y  Calderos,  Duke  of 
Alva.  I  have  other  titles,  but  they  would  hardly 
interest  you." 

The  detective  glared  at  him  malevolently, 
mimicking  the  crisp  enunciation  of  the  nobleman. 

"  But  you  interest  me,  sweetie.  Dook  of 
Alver — and  then  some,  eh?  Ain't  that  just  too 


124  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

cutey-cutey  for  any  use?  Say,  I'm  used  to  these 
docks  and  counts — I've  beem  around  Peacock  Al- 
ley at  the  Waldorf  too  long  not  to  know  'em  by 
their  checkered  pants  and  them  canes!  Say, 
Dook !  If  you  was  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury 
I'd  run  yer  in  and  take  yer  ashore,  if  yer  give 
me  any  more  of  yer  lip." 

Jarvis,  bumping  his  heels  against  the  trunk, 
smiled  with  diabolical  enjoyment  in  the  face  of 
his  Excellency! 


IX 

CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST 

THE  detective  glared  at  the  nobleman,  with 
fingers  obviously  itching  for  action.     He 
sucked  his  teeth  contemptuously,  and  then 
turned  his  back  squarely  upon  the  noble  counte- 
nance.    Over  his  face  spread  the  beatific  smile 
which   strong,    rough   men   deem   overpowering 
with  a  member  of  the  weaker  sex. 

"  As  you  was  saying,  lady,  before  we  was  so 
impolitely  interrupted,  you  was  in  the  hotel  when 
this  gunplay  went  on.     Did  you  hear  it  ?  " 
"  Yes,  sir,  I  heard  two  shots." 
"  Did  you  hear  anything  else?  " 
"  Yes,  indeed.     I  heard  a  great  many  people 
running  up  and  down  the  corridor,  outside  my 
door." 

The  detective  scribbled  away  in  his  notebook. 
Jarvis  winked  again  at  the  Princess,  over  the 
125 


126  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

doughty  shoulders  which  were  backed  toward 
him.  The  Duke  caught  the  wink,  and  pondered 
over  it. 

"  Did  anyone  come  in  your  room,  miss  ?  " 

"  Yes.  My  maid  was  frightened,  poor  child. 
She  came  in,  and  begged  me  to  protect  her." 

"  Ah-ha !  A-hum !  And  how  did  your  lock  get 
broken?" 

"  It  was  broken  when  we  came  to  the  room.  I 
was  foolish  not  to  complain  to  the  management 
at  once,  for  I  might  have  been  robbed  by  some 
sneak-thief.  I  explained  all  that  at  the  hotel." 

"  Urn  ...  All  right.  What  about  the  colored 
man  who  came  to  your  room  afterwards  and  car- 
ried away  a  large  bundle  ?  " 

The  Duke's  eyes  were  sparkling  now.  He  was 
biding  his  chance  to  intervene.  Jarvis  watched 
him  without  the  flicker  of  an  eyelash. 

"  That  was  my  servant,"  explained  the  Prin- 
cess, easily.  "  I  sent  for  him,  because  I  had 
made  a  number  of  purchases  too  late  to  get  them 
into  my  trunk.  They  are  here  unopened;  you 
may  examine  them  if  you  wish." 


CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST         127 

The  detective  waved  aside  the  offer:  he  was 
nothing  if  not  gallant — if  the  questioned  one  were 
fair  enough! 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right.  But  what  do  you  know 
about  this,  miss?  " 

He  produced  a  pocket-knife,  and  walked  to- 
ward her  slowly,  examining  it  with  care.  The 
Duke  of  Alva  leaned  over  his  shoulder  with  ab- 
sorbed interest. 

"  This  knife  has  the  initial  '  W!  How  about 
it?" 

The  girl  reached  forward,  with  a  graceful  hand. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  you  found  it !  Thank  you 
for  bringing  it  to  me." 

"  Then  it's  yours?  Who  is  this  party  'W? 
Your  name  is  Aragon,  I  believe." 

The  Princess  laughed. 

"  I  am  Maria  Theresa  of  Aragon,  you  see." 

"  I  don't  see.  Where  does  the  '  W '  come  in  ? 
I  know  how  to  spell,  you  know,  even  if  I'm  only 
a  bull."  And  he  glared  pugnaciously  at  the  duke. 

"  Why  ...  it  isn't  '  W ' — can't  you  un- 
derstand ?  You're  holding  it  upside  down.  It  is 


128  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

' M' — standing     for    my     first     name:     Maria 
Theresa." 

The  detective  grudgingly  handed  her  the  trin- 
ket. He  looked  into  his  memorandum  book 
again,  chewing  the  end  of  his  pencil. 

"  Now,    there's    just    one    more   thing,    Miss 
» 

Carlos  could  control  himself  no  longer.  He 
caught  the  officer's  arm  in  a  feverish  grip,  which 
was  as  promptly  thrown  off. 

"  You  will  pardon  me,  but  I  wish  to  inform 
you  that  this  man's  name  is  Warren  .  .  ."he  be- 
gan. 

The  detective  spun  about,  and  protruded  his 
heavy  chin  at  the  Duke. 

"  Say,  who's  running  this  '  Third  Degree  ' — 
you  or  me?" 

The  Duke  tried  to  temporize. 

"  But,  my  dear  man  ..." 

"  Say,  cull,  I  ain't  your  dear  man.  Cut  that 
guff — don't  dearie  me.  I'm  a  big  rough  fellow, 
but  I've  got  some  gumption.  You  get  out  of 
here." 


CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST         129 

He  gave  him  a  thoroughly  plebeian  push  toward 
the  door. 

"  Yes,  Carlos,  do  go.  Leave  us  to  attend  to 
this  matter.  These  gentlemen  are  so  kind  and 
so  sympathetic.  I  am  sure  we  can  finish  this  bet- 
ter without  you." 

"  I  merely  wished  to  point  out   ..." 

"  You  point  him  out,  Jim,"  ordered  the  first 
detective  to  his  assistant.  "  You  hear  what  the 
lady  says.  This  is  her  cabin." 

The  second  official  caught  the  aristocrat  with 
a  rude  grasp  of  the  velvet  coat-collar  and  shook 
him  as  one  would  a  child.  The  Duke's  teeth  chat- 
tered. 

"  Out  yer  goes,  and  if  yer  butts  in  again  I'll 
fan  yer.  Beat  it !  Do  yer  hear  ?  Do  yer  get  me  ? 
Skibooch!  " 

The  Duke  tried  to  regain  his  equilibrium  be- 
fore braving  the  publicity  of  the  saloon.  His 
voice  trembled  with  passion,  as  he  retorted :  "  An 
infernal  outrage !  I'll  report  this  to  his  Majesty, 
the  King." 

The  first  detective  looked  at  the  jocular  War- 


I3o  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

ren  Jarvis,  who  published  his  third  wink,  this 
time  in  the  direction  of  the  big  sleuth. 

"King!  Huh!  Roosevelt  wasn't  elected! 
Did  yer  get  that,  Jim  ?  Well,  what  do  you  know 
about  that  ?  " 

Jarvis  leaned  forward,  with  a  sibilant  whisper 
of  secrecy: 

"  Sssh !  Gentlemen.  Don't  be  disturbed.  He 
is  quite  harmless.  You  heard  him  raving  about 
a  king?  He  suffers  from  pernicious  megaloma- 
nia. That's  all — nothing  more.  He  has  grand- 
iose ideas." 

Jim  coughed  apologetically  as  his  superior  offi- 
cer blinked. 
'  "  What  does  them  words  mean,  Jim?  " 

"  Wheels — bats  in  his  belfry — just  plain  nutty, 
Mike." 

"You  mean  he  is  crazy,  mister?" 

Jarvis  nodded. 

"  Yes,  he  is  at  times.  But  don't  be  cross  with 
him,  for  he  has  a  beautiful  nature,  except  when 
the  ravages  of  the  disease  are  upon  him.  You 
know,  he  doesn't  even  like  me  when  he  has  a 


CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST         131 

spell  like  this.  But  he's  not  at  all  dangerous. 
It  is  just  necessary  to  humor  him — he's  not  to 
blame — it's  the  way  he  was  raised." 

"Then  you're  looking  out  for  him?"  and 
the  detective  looked  furtively  toward  the  door, 
as  he  reassured  himself  by  fumbling  with  the 
revolver  in  his  own  hip-pocket. 

"  Yes,  that's  my  job." 

The  big  sleuth  shook  his  head  sadly. 

"  I'm  sorry  I  had  to  be  rough  with  him,  like 
that,  miss.  But  you  seen  as  well  as  I  did  that 
he  was  gumming  the  game.  Why,  with  some 
boob  detectives  that  I  know,  a  feller  like  that 
might  queer  the  crowd  of  you — making  it  look 
as  though  you  was  implicated."  He  looked  into 
the  ubiquitous  notebook.  "  One  question  more. 
How  do  you  acount  for  the  blood  on  the  knob 
of  the  door — from  the  inside,  too?  " 

The  girl  was  honestly  surprised  this  time. 

"  Blood  on  my  door?    Why— I ?  " 

"  I  can  explain  that,  Inspector." 

"  Go  ahead,  then,  Doctor." 

"  Do  you  mind  ?  "  and  the  Kentuckian  turned 


I32  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

politely  toward  the  girl.  She  shook  her  head, 
wondering  what  could  be  in  his  mind. 

"  You  see,  that  colored  man — the  one  you  were 
talking  about — brought  the  bundle  there.  He 
tied  it  up  and,  cutting  the  string  carelessly,  broke 
the  blade  of  the  knife  and  cut  his  hand.  That 
was  it,  wasn't  it?  You  see  the  long  blade 
snapped  off  near  the  handle." 

The  detective  nodded — not  completely  con- 
vinced. 

"Where  is  this  colored  man  now?"  was  his 
question. 

It  seemed  to  Maria  Thresa  that  they  were  get- 
ting hopelessly  into  the  toils.  She  was  discour- 
aged, as  she  glanced  at  the  imperturbable  Jarvis. 
He  nodded  ever  so  slightly,  and  she  caught  her 
cue. 

"  He  is  in  stateroom  729,"  she  said. 

"  All  right.  I'll  look  at  him.  729  ?  Thanks, 
miss.  You  know,  this  ain't  personal  at  all.  I'm 
just  taking  the  chief's  orders.  I'm  sorry  to 
bother  you." 

He  walked  toward  the  door  with  the  dignified 


CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST         133 

flat-footed  gait  which  distinguishes  the  Manhat- 
tan sleuth  and  all  others  in  the  world. 

"  Good-by,  miss.  Watch  that  maniac,  do !  He 
looks  like  a  bad  actor  to  me." 

They  were  gone,  and  Maria  Theresa  sank  into 
a  chair  weakly.  Jarvis  energetically  sprang  to 
the  telephone, 

"  Hello !     Give  me  room  729." 

After  a  pause  he  continued :  "  Hello,  hello, 
hello,  Rusty !  Yes,  Rusty.  Damn  it  all,  answer 
me,  do  you  hear  me? " 

There  was  another  pause,  and  the  girl  began 
to  lose  her  control  again. 

"  Yes,  I  know  I  told  you  to  keep  mum,  but  I'm 
telling  you  to  talk  now."  Jarvis  knew  that  every 
second  was  precious.  "  Do  just  what  I  tell  you 
and  do  it  quick.  Take  your  knife  and  cut  your 
left  hand.  .  .  .  What  ?  .  .  .  No,  don't  cut  it  off, 
you  damn  fool.  Just  enough  to  make  it  bleed  a 
little,  and  then  tie  it  up  with  a  handkerchief.  .  .  . 
Never  mind  .  .  .  That's  none  of  your  business! 
Remember  don't  answer  questions !  You're  deaf 
and  dumb  again." 


134  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

He  hung  up  the  receiver  and  turned  toward  the 
Princess  with  a  newborn  laugh. 

"  By  George,  blood  will  tell !  You're  game. 
You  certainly  handled  the  detective  with  Euro- 
pean statecraft.  Then  your  cousin  Carlos  broke 
in  at  the  psychological  moment  to  scatter  their 
gum-shoe  wits.  It  was  beautiful  comedy." 

"  Now  they  believe  him  crazy !  "  she  answered. 
"  How  will  that  turn  out  ?  " 

"  Nothing  could  be  better.  They  won't  believe 
a  word  he  says.  He'll  be  crazy  before  he  gets 
through  with  it.  Could  you  handle  him  all  right 
now  ?  " 

She  nodded  abstractedly.  She  was  looking  at 
his  hand,  which  had  gone  without  attention  all 
this  time,  and  which  had  been  adroitly  snuggled 
inside  his  pocket  during  the  visit  of  the  New 
York  detectives. 

"  Yes.  You  must  hurry  and  have  your  hand 
dressed  before  it  develops  into  something  seri- 
ous." 

"  All  right.  The  ship's  surgeon  will  dress  it, 
with  collodion  so  that  you  can't  even  see  that  it's 


CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST         135 

hurt.  .  .  .  Crazy !  Hum !  That's  funny ! "  And 
he  left  by  the  door  to  the  promenade  deck,  with 
a  merry  laugh  which  showed  how  the  nervous 
strain  had  lightened,  after  all  these  solitary,  bitter 
hours. 

There  was  a  knocking  on  the  entry  from  the 
saloon,  and  at  her  word  it  opened.  The  Duke 
entered,  glaring  savagely. 

"Well!" 

"Well!" 

"Well — I'm  waiting!'5  he  exclaimed. 

"  Waiting  for  what,  Carlos  ?  " 

"  For  some  explanation  of  all  this  deceit. 
Who  is  this  man  Warren  ?  Alone  with  you  here 
in  your  cabin !  " 

She  raised  her  eyebrows  in  beautiful  surprise, 
as  she  asked : 

"Must  I  tell  you  all  over  again?  He  is  a 
professional  ghost  breaker,  just  as  he  said." 

"  How  did  you  find  such  a  creature?  " 

"  I  met  him  quite  by  accident.  I  knew  at  once 
that  he  was  a  man  in  a  thousand." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  him,  Maria  ?  " 


136  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Why  .  .  .  that  he  is  as  well  known  in 
America  as  you  are  in  Spain." 

The  Duke  sniffed. 

"  Indeed !  Well,  he  will  be  better  known  when 
I  turn  him  over  to  the  police.  He  will  get  much 
of  that  free  advertising  which  Americans  love  so 
well." 

"  Why,  Carlos,  what  do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  think  you  know  what  I  mean,"  and  there 
was  a  threat  in  his  manner.  Just  then  the  large 
detective  thrust  his  red  face  into  the  door. 

"  It's  all  right,  miss.  We're  going  ashore 
now  in  the  pilot  boat.  But  you  should  have  told 
us  that  your  nigger  was  a  dummy!  " 

Here  was  the  last  chance  for  the  Duke.  He 
grasped  it,  hurrying  toward  the  door. 

"  One  moment,  gentlemen,  one  moment !  "  and 
he  laughed  in  Maria's  face,  confident  of  his  suc- 
cess. "  If  this  person  is  famous,  these  gentle- 
men should  know  him.  ...  Do  you  know  War- 
ren, the  Ghost  Breaker  ?  " 

"The  what?"  asked  the  detective. 

"The  Ghost  Breaker!" 


CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST         137 

Both  men  now  entered  the  room,  grinning  at 
each  other. 

"  He's  off  his  trolleys  again,  Jim,"  said  the 
big  fellow  to  the  other. 

Jarvis  stepped  in  through  the  deck  door. 

"  Is  this  man  Warren,  the  famous  Ghost 
Breaker?  This  man  right  here !  " 

"  The  guy's  dippy  all  right,  cull,"  remarked 
the  nearest  sleuth  to  Jarvis,  who  nodded  most 
seriously. 

"  Agree  with  anything  he  says.  You  know !  " 
he  muttered. 

The  Duke  was  beside  himself  with  rage. 

"  Answer  my  question !  Is  this  man  Warren 
the  Ghost  Breaker?" 

"  Aw,  Dook,  old  top,  that's  all  right.  Don't 
worry  about  it!  ...  Sure  he's  a  ghost  breaker, 
ain't  he,  Jim?" 

"  Best  bet  you  know,"  replied  obliging  Jim. 
"  He's  the  prince  of  all  ghost  breakers !  " 

The  Duke  smote  his  breast  furiously,  while  the 
detectives  smiled  sympathetically  into  Jarvis' 
serious  face. 


138  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Sacristi!  Am  I  Carlos  Hernando,  Duke  of 
Alva,  to  be  mocked  at  by  two  grinning  bull- 
necked  scullions  ?  " 

"  Whatever  you  say  goes,  Dook !  "  amiably  re- 
plied the  first  detective. 

A  ship's  officer  appeared  on  the  promenade 
deck  and  called  through  the  open  door  at  them. 

"  Hurry  up,  if  you're  going  ashore  with  the 
pilot,  officers." 

The  two  men  bowed  with  their  best  imitation 
of  gallantry,  to  the  Princess  Maria  Theresa  of 
Aragon.  Nita,  standing  in  the  vestibule,  sent  a 
melting  glance  at  the  faithful  Jim,  who  stumbled 
over  the  treacherous  cabin  threshold. 

The  superior  of  the  two  shook  hands  pomp- 
ously with  Jarvis,  whose  left  hand  was  still  in 
his  pocket. 

"  Be  kind  to  the  little  rascal,  Doc.  He  might 
not  get  such  good  treatment  from  them  Scotland 
Yard  bulls,  on  the  other  side.  They  don't  under- 
stand human  nature  like  us  fellers — they  ain't  got 
no  education  over  there.  Good-by,  Doc !  Don't 
let  your  foot  slip !  " 


CHECKMATE  THE  FIRST         139 

He  turned  toward  the  Duke,  as  he  passed 
through  the  door. 

"  You're  all  right,  Dook,  old  boy,  if  you  do 
have  fits !  Ghost  Breaker — ha,  ha !  " 

Carlos  started  toward  the  other  door,  with  a 
bound. 

"  It's  not  too  late.     I'll  see  the  captain." 

Jarvis,  sitting  on  the  trunk,  whistled  with  typi- 
cal American  lack  of  reverence.  As  the  noble- 
man turned  about,  he  found  himself  looking  into 
the  barrel  of  the  revolver.  A  quizzical  smile 
played  about  the  firm  lines  of  the  Kentuckian's 
mouth. 

"  Don't  be  in  too  big  a  hurry,  your  Excellency. 
The  captain  is  apt  to  be  busy  just  now.  And 
besides,  he  may  not  believe  in  ghosts !  " 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE 

WHAT  a  curious  sea  voyage ! 
The   Duke's    attempt   to    warn    the 
captain  of  the  nature  of  this  one  par- 
ticular passenger  never  eventualized.     When  the 
Mauretania  had  finally  left  behind  all  sight  of 
America,  Jarvis  relaxed  his  severity. 

"  You  may  enjoy  yourself,  Excellency,"  he 
said,  as  he  put  away  the  revolver.  "  But  I  would 
like  to  speak  to  you  alone.  As  the  representative 
of  the  Princess,  on  a  most  important  mission,  I 
am  compelled  to  look  after  her  inerests  in  a 
definite  manner." 

He  faced  the  girl  meaningly. 
"  Will  you  excuse  us  for  a  moment's  inter- 
change of  pleasantries  ?  " 

She  nodded,  and  retired  to  her  bedroom  with 
Nita. 

140 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE       141 

"  What  do  you  want,  you  scoundrel  ?  I  know 
that  you  are  an  impostor — a  make-believe,  and 
worse ! " 

"  Take  it  easy,  Duke.  I'm  really  not  too  en- 
thusiastic over  you.  But  this  Colt  revolver  is 
not  a  make-believe.  I  am  only  going  to  bother 
your  aristocratic  memory  with  this  one  little 
idea — that  if  there  is  any  reporting  to  the  cap- 
tain or  ship's  officers,  to  interfere  with  my  serv- 
ices as  Ghost  Breaker  for  the  royal  house  of 
Aragon,  there  is  going  to  be  a  nice  band  concert 
in  the  public  square  of  your  native  town — and  the 
special  number  on  the  programme  will  be  the 
'  Dead  March  from  Saul,'  with  pretty  black  crepe 
on  the  ducal  doorknob !  Do  you  catch  my  mean- 
ing?" 

"You  Yankee  pig!" 

"  I'm  not  a  Yankee — I'm  a  Johnny  Reb,  by 
birth  and  education.  But  both  Yankees  and 
Rebels  acquired  a  reputation  for  marksmanship 
about  fifty  years  ago."  The  jest  died  out  of  his 
voice.  "  One  whimper  from  you,  damn  you,  and 
I'll  shoot  you  as  I  would  a  mad  dog !  " 


142  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

There  was  such  a  savage  rasp  in  that  mellow 
Southern  voice  that  the  Duke  instinctively 
dodged  backward,  as  though  expecting  the  first 
volley. 

"  We  shall  see  what  we  shall  see ! "  were  his 
final  words.  "  And  if  I  see  you  about  the  cabin 
of  my  cousin  again, — well,  perhaps  the  officers 
of  this  ship  may  take  a  hand." 

Warren  pursed  his  lips  into  an  ironical  grin. 

"  You  know,  a  member  of  my  profession 
doesn't  take  a  solemn  oath  to  wait  until  the  re- 
mains are  resting  in  pieces:  it  might  not  be  a 
difficult  task  to  take  up  an  avocation  as  well  as 
a  vocation.  I  wonder  if  I  couldn't  be  a  pretty 
good  Ghost  Maker?  Think  it  over." 

Jarvis,  with  a  simple  word  of  good-bye  to  the 
Princess,  returned  to  his  own  cabin,  where  he 
lost  himself  in  slumber.  The  tortures  of  his 
trunk  trip  were  still  with  him,  in  aching  muscles 
and  strained  ligaments. 

The  girl  wondered  what  had  become  of  him, 
for  it  was  not  until  late  in  the  evening  that  he 
telephoned  to  her  at  the  suite. 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE       143 

She  was  on  the  deck,  listening  to  the  orchestra 
concert.  Nita  responded  at  the  'phone.  Jarvis 
surprised  the  girl  by  a  voluble  discourse  in  Span- 
ish. He  had  mastered  it  in  his  tropical  travels. 
It  was  to  come  in  as  a  life-saving  accomplishment 
before  the  end  of  the  adventure. 

"  Tell  me,  Nita.  Have  you  good  eyes  ?  "  he 
curiously  inquired. 

"  Ah,  sefior,  so  I  am  told,"  was  the  ingenuous 
reply. 

"  Well,  in  that  sense  I  have  my  doubts  about 
their  goodness  .  .  .  but  what  I  want  you  to  do, 
for  the  sake  of  your  Princess  and  her  brother, 
is  to  keep  those  black  eyes  eternally  watchful.  I 
am  expecting  some  curious  tricks  from  one  we 
know.  Let  her  know  what  you  see — and  she  will 
tell  me.  Remember — keep  looking,  listening  all 
the  time." 

Nita  promised,  and  Warren  repaired  to  the 
lounge,  where  he  observed  the  Duke  nursing  his 
ill-humor  over  a  lonesome  absinthe  frappe. 

Warren  did  not  seek  companionship  either, 
upon  this  journey.  He  knew  too  many  men  in 


144  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

the  ranks  of  the  international  traders,  to  dare 
risk  recognition.  The  great  roadway  between 
New  York  and  the  European  ports  has  now  be- 
come a  veritable  promenade,  thronged  with  trav- 
elers :  it  is  no  longer  a  lonely  passage. 

The  great  steamship  was  crowded  on  this  trip, 
Rusty  being  in  good  luck  to  obtain  a  stateroom 
relinquished  just  before  sailing  time.  With 
nearly  two  thousand  people  on  board,  it  was  a 
floating  town — and  more  than  once  in  the 
crowded  decks  and  saloons  he  caught  glimpses 
of  men  he  knew  in  club,  college,  or  business. 
He  would  invariably  beat  a  precipitate  retreat. 
His  daily  procedure  was  hermit-like.  With  the 
exception  of  an  early  morning  stroll,  alone,  on 
the  promenade  deck,  he  took  no  more  chances 
after  that  first  morning.  His  meals  were  served 
in  his  stateroom.  From  the  splendid  library  of 
the  ship  he  secured  ample  reading  material  to 
while  away  the  time. 

At  night  he  spent  an  hour  in  walking  with  the 
Princess — and  they  were  wonderful  moments. 
Each  evening  he  seemed  to  grow  better  acquainted 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE       145 

with  this  unusual  woman — finding  beneath  the 
surface  of  courtly  reserve  a  depth  of  feeling,  a 
breadth  of  humanity  which  would  hardly  have 
been  believable  from  her  calm,  almost  indiffer- 
ent manner. 

Her  education  in  an  English  school  had  inter- 
nationalized her — her  wide  knowledge  of  books, 
in  all  the  literatures  of  Europe,  her  familiarity 
with  the  best  of  art,  poetry,  the  drama  and 
music — had  made  of  her  a  delightful,  ever  sur- 
prising traveling  companion. 

The  girl  was  interested  in  everything  Ameri- 
can. She  plied  him  with  questions  about  the 
city,  the  country,  the  customs.  Her  brief  stay  in 
New  York  had  been  all  too  limited — her  curiosity 
was  only  whetted  by  the  brief  survey  of  externals 
which  is  all  that  a  stranger  may  get,  without  the 
guidance  of  an  initiate. 

To  her,  America  represented  a  great  new  uni- 
verse, teeming  with  vitality.  Compared  with  the 
medievalism  of  her  own  country,  the  modernity 
of  the  States  was  a  wonderful  poetic  drama  of 
ideals,  accomplishment,  and  goals  worth  while. 


146  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  What  do  you  think  of  titles,  Mr.  Jarvis  ?  " 
asked  the  girl,  one  evening.  "  When  you  made 
your  recessional  into  the  Middle  Ages  by  taking 
the  feudal  oath  to  me,  you  were  flippant,  almost 
sarcastic:  yet  by  my  standards,  I  could  not  feel 
that  any  man  could  defend  my  interests  with 
propriety  unless  he  were  of  my  own  people — so, 
you  were  adopted  with  more  seriousness  than  you 
supposed." 

Jarvis  flicked  a  cigarette  into  the  swirling1 
waters  far  beneath  them,  as  he  answered. 

"  Titles  do  not  appeal  to  Americans,  as  a 
general  thing.  To  the  simpler  folk,  they  rep- 
resent the  yoke  of  the  ancient  Lion  whose  mane 
was  cropped  in  1 776.  To  the  broader  folk,  they 
are  no  more  than  the  marks  of  family :  although 
I  must  confess  that  your  worthy  cousin  would 
create  much  fluttering  of  hearts  and  waving  of 
ivory  fans  around  Newport  and  Lennox, — 
where  American  hearts,  of  a  sort,  and  American 
fortunes  of  questionable  worth  are  bartered  for 
a  tin-plated  coronet.  But  that's  the  revenge  of 
the  Great  God  of  Misfits." 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE      147 

He  turned  toward  her,  resting  his  hand  upon 
the  rail. 

"  You  are  no  different  physically,  mentally, 
socially  from  many  of  the  Southern,  Northern, 
and  Western  girls  I  have  met  in  my  own  coun- 
try. You  are  dependent  upon  the  fashions,  to 
bring  your  charms  to  the  utmost  effectiveness." 
The  Princess  blushed  in  the  dark.  "  But,  dif- 
fering from  many  of  them,  you  do  succeed ! " 
he  added. 

"  You  are  just  as  human  as  the  fine  girls  I 
have  met  back  home — your  titled  classes  cor- 
respond with  the  fine  old  families  of  the  United 
States — and  we  have  the  advantage  over  you 
that  by  our  own  endeavor  we  can  change  the 
titles,  by  our  own  efforts,  without  waiting  for  the 
death  of  our  loved  ones." 

His  mind  turned  to  his  own  mother,  to  whom 
his  successes  had  been  a  source  of  increasing 
happiness. 

"  I  was  only  a  little  knight  back  home  in 
Kentucky — when  I  was  a  tiny  chap.  As  I  went 
into  the  world,  and  fought  the  battles,  and  won 


I48  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

some  (after  losing  more),  to  my  dad  and  the 
mother  I  became  a  prince.  .  .  .  And  the  great 
thing  about  being  a  prince — to  your  family — in 
a  republic,  as  compared  with  being  a  prince  in  a 
monarchy,  is  that  a  chap  must  keep  on  making 
good  in  the  job,  or  he'll  fail  of  election,  just  in 
the  years  when  he  wants  it  most! 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,  your  Highness, 
America  is  crowded  with  '  wealthy  families/ 
'  socially  prominent,'  '  old  Colonial  families,'  two 
or  three  million  Mayflower  blossoms,  and  similar 
Philistines!  There  are  hundreds  of  clever  peo- 
ple who  make  good  annual  incomes  in  our  coun- 
try with  their  ingenuity  in  connecting  the  Joneses 
and  the  Browns  and  the  Smiths  with  Richard  the 
Lion-Heart  and  Bill  the  Conqueror,  by  mar- 
riage. In  my  native  State,  Kentucky,  there  are 
enough  majors,  colonels,  and  generals  to  officer 
the  armies  of  Europe — and  as  for  judges !  .  .  . 
There  are  enough  badges,  fraternity  pins, 
cockades,  and  association  medals  to  keep  second- 
hand jewelers  busy  for  their  lifetimes!  M|y 
countrymen  are  the  most  passionate  collectors  of 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE       149 

heraldic  certificates  and  genealogical  maps  in  the 
world.  The  instinct  for  decoration  is  prevalent — 
the  more  obscure  the  family,  the  more  plentiful 
the  framed  diplomas  of  aristocratic  origin  on 
the  walls !  " 

The  Princess  was  unable  to  follow  the  cynicism 
of  the  speech,  but  a  growing  admiration  for 
Jarvis'  analytical  powers  led  her  to  put  confidence 
in  his  opinions. 

"  And  what  harm  does  it  do?  "  he  concluded. 
"  They  are  titles  of  universal  brotherhood,  and 
peace  breeds  more  American  colonels  and  majors 
than  an  international  Armageddon.  And  it  is 
all  in  the  game ! " 

"  And  then,  you  do  not  have  such  a  disgust  for 
titles  and  the  marks  of  good  family,  after  all?  " 

She  was  almost  eager  in  her  inquisition  of 
the  vassal. 

"  Your  Serene  Highness  has  no  cause  for 
worry:  although  you  will  doubtless  never  need 
care  for  any  American  opinion"  (and  Warren 
studied  her  face,  as  the  fine  silhouette  was  il- 
lumined by  the  nearby  deck  light),  "  for  in  my 


150  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

country  a  princess  is  recognized  whether  she 
wear  ermine  robes,  or  a  calico  shirtwaist  and 
a  ragged  skirt.  You  see, — a  republic  is  at  least 
well  illuminated.  We're  not  afraid  of  the 
light ! .  .  .  However,  I  imagine  that  your  title  will 
be  changed  before  another  year,  and  in  that  case 
you  will  have  no  cause  for  curiosity ! " 

The  girl's  eyes  burned  as  she  questioned  him. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Jarvis?  For  a 
vassal,  you  are  decidedly  presumptuous.  You 
need  not  come  to  court  again  until  you  are  sum- 
moned. Good-night." 

And  then  she  turned,  as  Jarvis  maintained  a 
discreet  silence,  walking  rapidly  toward  the 
promenade  door  of  her  suite.  He  bade  her 
good-night,  without  response. 

Jarvis  remembered  an  old  verse  of  the  great- 
est balladist  of  the  century : 

"  For  Julia  O'Grady  and  the  Colonel's  lady, 
Were  both  the  same,  under  the  skin — 
And  I  learned  about  women  from  'er! " 

Maria  Theresa  was  not  in  a  mood  to  see  Jarvis 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE       151 

for  two  more  days.  Instead  of  trying  to  win 
her  forgiveness  for  a  wrong — he  had  not  com- 
mitted— he  stuck  the  closer  to  his  stateroom, 
where,  with  the  solicitous  attention  of  Rusty,  he 
lived  a  drone-like  and  peaceful  existence,  poring 
over  books.  They  were  not  fiction  or  philosophy 
— the  Kentuckian's  interest  was  in  Baedeker  and 
other  books  on  Spain.  With  the  same  application 
which  had  carried  him  over  the  thin  ice  of  col- 
lege examinations,  he  had  grasped  a  valuable 
understanding  of  the  customs  and  peculiarities 
of  Spain.  He  gave  especial  attention  to  the  rail- 
road maps,  for  Warren  was  not  trusting  too  im- 
plicitly to  the  permanent  humility  of  the  Duke. 

That  worthy  was  passing  a  most  disagreeable 
voyage. 

He  was  naturally  of  an  irascible,  dictatorial  tem- 
perament— accustomed  to  flattery  and  adulation. 
On  this  return  trip  to  the  Continent,  the  ship's 
list  comprised  Americans  for  the  most  part. 
They  were  in  little  humor  to  cajole  the  swarthy, 
sarcastic,  and  unsociable  Spaniard.  Their  minds 
were  too  full  of  the  pleasures  of  the  months  to 


152  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

come,  of  plans  and  frolics  in  contemplation,  to 
sacrifice  their  time  to  this  dour  personage. 

The  Duke  endeavored  to  mellow  his  own  dis- 
comfiture at  Maria  Theresa's  coldness  with  nu- 
merous visits  to  the  grill.  The  result  was  a  morn- 
ing "  grouch,"  an  afternoon  headache,  and  a 
twilight  bitterness  which  kept  him  permanently 
aloof  from  all  companionship. 

On  two  occasions  he  had  observed  Warren 
in  earnest  and  apparently  friendly  conversation 
with  the  captain  and  first  officer.  He  was  not 
aware  that  it  was  intended  for  his  own  benefit — 
and  that  nothing  more  intimate  than  the  weather 
was  under  discussion.  But  it  presaged  a  prompt 
information  to  the  "  Ghost  Breaker  "  in  case  he 
registered  his  complaint.  The  Duke's  methods 
of  warfare  were  not  of  the  gallant-charge-against- 
intrenchments  variety.  He  specialized  in  the  ex- 
ecutive ability  which  directs  the  activities  of 
other  men;  and  so  he  bided  his  time. 

The  fifth  evening  out  from  New  York  harbor 
— they  were  due  some  time  the  following  day  in 
the  Mersey,  dependent  largely  upon  the  tide  and 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE       153 

weather — he  could  stand  no  longer  the  evident 
growth  of  friendliness  between  his  cousin  and 
her  "  employed  "  assistant. 

Maria  Theresa  had  forgiven  the  Kentuckian 
for  his  jest — without  the  formality  of  an  apology, 
because  she  was  a  woman.  She  had  once  more 
yielded  to  her  loneliness,  and  walked  the  wind- 
swept promenade  deck  to  discuss  their  common 
subjects. 

As  Jarvis  bade  her  good-night  and  stepped  into 
the  shadow  of  the  deck,  he  observed  the  aristo- 
crat knocking  angrily  upon  the  cabin  door. 

"  Let  me  in,  Maria,"  cried  the  Duke,  in  Cas- 
tilian.  "  I  must  talk  to  you,  ,for  your  own 
good." 

"  I  suppose  that  means  my  bad,"  muttered 
Jarvis.  "  I'll  just  smoke  another  cigarette  in  the 
neighborhood,  to  see  how  things  go." 

The  Duke  was  admitted — his  conversation  in 
the  parlor  of  the  suite  seemed  to  last  for  half 
an  hour.  At  last  the  door  opened,  and  he  re- 
appeared. He  was  talking  excitedly  at  the  door- 
way. 


154  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  What  I  have  said  to  you,  I  would  say  before 
him,  were  he  not  skulking  in  his  cabin,  afraid 
of  justice.  He  is  a  pig  of  a  poltroon!  "  cried  his 
Excellency.  "  I  wish  he  were  here  now,  and  I 
would  tell  it  to  his  face." 

The  girl  replied  calmly — so  quietly  indeed  that 
Jarvis  could  not  distinguish  the  words. 

But  he  stepped  forward,  and  laid  a  hand  upon 
the  nobleman's  arm.  Carlos  jumped  nervously, 
as  though  bitten  by  a  snake. 

"  Here  I  am,  your  Excellency.  Let's  hear 
what  it  is  you  have  to  say?" 

The  other  swallowed  his  choler,  speaking  with 
difficulty. 

"  I  ...  I  ...  cannot  speak  on  the  deck  of 
the  ship !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Then  come  into  my  cabin  again,"  said  the 
Princess  with  pardonable  asperity.  "  You  may 
tell  Mr.  Jarvis  your  opinion  of  him  now." 

Jarvis  gave  the  Duke  an  ungentle  shove,  with 
the  result  that  the  troublesome  door  threshold 
again  intercepted  to  demonstrate  the  laws  of 
gravity.  The  Duke  sprawled  most  unromanti- 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE      155 

cally  upon  the  deck  inside.  He  scrambled  to  his 
feet,  muttering  Spanish  oaths. 

"  Dog!  If  you  were  my  equal  socially  I  would 
challenge  you !  "  he  spluttered. 

"  If  you  were  my  equal  physically  I  would 
punch  your  head,"  was  the  apt  reply  of  the 
American.  "  Now,  let's  hear  this  opinion  which 
you  were  so  anxious  to  tell  to  my  face." 

There  was  a  humorous  twinkle  in  the  dark 
eyes  of  the  Princess,  and  Warren  observed,  down 
the  passageway  to  the  private  stateroom,  the 
smiling  face  of  Nita,  the  maid. 

"  WeH,  Mr.  Warren  ...  I  ...  merely  .  .  . 
said  that  I  know  you  to  be  what  you  Yankees 
call  a  humbug!  For  some  purposes  of  your  own 
— perhaps  to  attempt  a  theft  of  this  imaginary 
fortune,  you  are  trying  to  get  to  Seguro  .  .  . 
However,"  and  at  the  quiet  interest  on  the  face 
of  Jarvis  he  was  emboldened  to  make  his  state- 
ments more  emphatic,  "  I  have  my  doubts  about 
your  honesty  in  the  whole  matter." 

"And  that  means  what,  your  Excellency?" 

"  I  don't  believe  you  even  intend  to  risk  the 


156  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

chances  in  Spain.  You  have  duped  my  cousin, 
a  helpless,  innocent  girl — ignorant  of  the  sharp 
ways  of  American  adventurers.  You  have  se- 
cured a  free  passage  on  this  ship,  and  doubtless 
an  advance  payment,  to  engage  you.  I  would 
wager  anything  that  you  will  never  see  Spain,  in 
this  case." 

Jarvis  smiled  ingratiatingly. 

"  You  are  a  clever  student  of  character.  Such 
men  make  good  gamblers.  How  much  are  you 
willing  to  wager  on  this  little  affair?  How 
much  will  you  bet  that  I  do  not  appear  in 
Spain  ?  " 

The  Duke  of  Alva  bit  his  lip.  He  had  lost  too 
much  in  recent  gamings  to  afford  greater  risks 
just  now.  But  he  was  a  sportsman — particularly 
did  he  wish  to  impress  his  kinswoman. 

"  I  will  wager  a  thousand  pounds  of  English 
money, — five  thousand  dollars  in  your  American 
rags, — that  you  will  not  appear  at  Seguro  in  time 
to  help  the  Princess." 

"  That's  a  great  deal  of  money,  especially  for 
a  hard-working  business  man  like  myself,"  an- 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE       157 

swered  Warren.  "  What  are  the  exact  stipula- 
tions of  this  wager  ?  I  might  borrow  the  money 
from  the  Princess,  as  an  advance  payment  for 
breaking  the  ghost?  " 

Carlos  sneered  exultantly. 

"  Yes,  you  might  borrow  it — but  there  is  not 
so  much  ready  money  around  Seguro.  My  terms, 
if  you  care  to  know  them,  are  these :  I  wager  the 
thousand  pounds  that  you  will  not  be  at  Seguro 
three  nights  from  to-morrow — the  time  when  we 
will  arrive,  according  to  the  train  schedule. 
However,  why  should  I  waste  talk,  with  a  man, 
on  a  bet  which  is  not  for  tradesmen  but  for 
gentlemen  ?" 

"  Who  would  hold  the  stakes  ?  " 

The  Duke  smiled,  and  waved  a  gallant  hand 
toward  his  cousin. 

"  Who  better  than  my  kinswoman,  the  Princess 
of  Aragon  ?" 

"  Who  better?  "  echoed  Jarvis. 

He  was  fumbling  with  his  waistcoat,  his  back 
to  the  Princess  and  her  cousin.  Suddenly  with 
a  jerk,  he  brought  forth  a  leather  money  belt 


158  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

which  had  been  tightly  bound  about  his  body, 
diagonally  over  one  and  under  another  shoulder. 
The  Duke's  eyes  protruded.  Jarvis  dropped  the 
treasure  "  chest "  upon  the  table,  while  even  the 
Princess  evidenced  her  surprise.  Opening  the 
little  pockets,  which  joined  each  other  along  its 
entire  length,  he  began  to  pile  up  gold  pieces. 

"  I  believe  I  have  the  amount  handy,  your  Ex- 
cellency !  "  he  remarked  amiably.  "  May  I  trou- 
ble you  to  invite  you  to  produce  the  money  for 
your  own  side  of  the  bet?  We  have  a  vulgar 
custom  among  us  in  America,  of  requesting  the 
other  man  to  either  '  put  up  or  shut  up.'  " 

It  happened  that  this  cash  had  been  carefully 
drawn  from  his  resources  before  the  eventful  last 
evening  at  the  club.  Jarvis  had  prepared  himself 
for  all  exigencies :  he  had  not  imagined  that  the 
first  use  would  be  a  reversal  to  the  ancient  custom 
of  his  ancestors  in  the  Blue  Grass  State, — a  bet 
upon  a  race.  But  blood  will  tell,  and  here  he  was 
in  the  time-honored  custom  of  the  family ! 

The  Duke  had  not  seen  so  much  cash  since  his 
last  ill-fated  pilgrimage  to  Monte  Carlo.  He  was 


A  WAGER  WITH  THE  DUKE       159 

staggered.  But  the  musical  laugh  of  the  Princess 
brought  back  the  haughty  savoir  faire  for  which 
he  was  noted ! 

"  Ah  .  .  .  well  ...  I  understand  you, 
sir,"  he  stammered,  with  improving  volubility. 
"  Very  good.  As  the  Duke  of  Alva,  it  is  not 
necessary  for  me  to  produce  the  exact  cash  on  the 
spot.  The  word  of  a  Spanish  nobleman  is  as 
good  as  his  bond.  It  is  a  wager,  and  the  terms 
stand." 

His  black  eyes  studied  the  pile  of  gold  coins 
with  sparkling  interest. 

"  Very  good, — twice  in  the  same  place.  The 
word  of  a  Kentuckian  is  as  good  as  his  bond. 
I  agreed  to  let  the  Princess  be  the  stakeholder — 
she  may  hold  your  word,  and  my  money-belt. 
Your  Serene  Highness — will  you  do  me  the 
honor?  " 

And  he  turned  toward  the  blushing  girl,  as  he 
handed  over  the  treasure.  The  insult  was  not 
lost  on  the  Duke.  But,  as  Jarvis  reached  for  his 
hat,  he  could  not  resist  a  final  slap ! 

"  Good-night,  your  Highness.     I  advise  you  to 


160  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

be  very  careful  with  the  lock  on  the  door.  The 
ship  lands  to-morrow  evening,  and  some  villain 
may  break  into  your  stateroom,  rob  you  of  the 
Duke's  word  of  honor  and  sell  it  to  some  enter- 
prising Liverpool  pawnbroker.  Pleasant  dreams ! 
I  hope  to  welcome  you  to  Seguro,  your  Excel- 
lency. Don't  spend  the  five  thousand  until  you 
get  there — remember,  the  home  industries  need 
encouragement." 

And  he  walked  out  to  the  promenade  deck. 
The  Duke  looked  at  his  cousin,  flushed  a  swarthy 
red  at  the  cynical  laugh  on  her  pretty  face.  Then 
he,  too,  hurried  out — through  the  saloon  passage. 
He  was  anxious  to  get  to  his  own  stateroom  to 
think  things  over. 


XI 

WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN 

BACK  in  his  stateroom  Warren  was  poring 
with  renewed  interest  over  the  time-tables 
between  Liverpool,  London,  Paris,  and 
Madrid.  Seguro  was  on  the  main  line  from  the 
French  capital  to  the  principal  one  of  Spain. 

As  he  made  various  penciled  memoranda  upon 
a  page  of  his  leather  notebook,  the  telephone  bell 
tinkled. 

He  answered  and  heard  the  voice  of  the  Prin- 
cess. 

"  Can  you  see  me  at  once, — on  the  promenade 
deck,  by  my  door  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Good-by." 

In  a  few  moments  he  was  talking  to  her  in  the 
dark;  all  the  lights  of  her  suite  were  out.  The 
girl  was  very  nervous. 

"  I  have  a  paper  which  Nita  found  upon  the 

161 


162  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

floor — it  was  crumpled  and  must  have  fallen  from 
the  pocket  of  my  cousin  when  he  fell.  I  want 
to  give  you  back  that  belt,  Mr.  Jarvis :  for  I  have 
heard  before  of  some  of  the  wager-debts  of  Car- 
los. It  is  safer  with  you.  Let  me  know  what 
you  think  about  this  paper,  and  tell  me  to-morrow 
morning.  We  are  due  in  port  late  in  the  evening, 
you  know." 

"  I  will.  There  may  be  something  in  which 
I  wish  your  help,  as  well,  your  Highness.  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  to  reach  Seguro  before  the 
Duke — for  many  reasons." 

The  girl  caught  his  hand  impetuously. 

"  You  don't  fear  for  your  life  before  you  get 
there,  do  you?  "  she  asked  softly.  "  I  want  you 
to  help  me  in  my  castle.  That  is  our  bargain — 
but  I  know  you  better  than  I  did  when  we  met 
in  New  York.  I  don't  want  you  to  run  too  big 
a  risk  for  me  until  the  great  trial  comes.  Do  be 
careful,  now." 

A  thrill  sent  the  Kentuckian's  head  reeling  for 
an  instant  at  the  unexpected  touch  of  those  warm, 
electric  fingers.  Then  he  caught  himself. 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       163 

"  Your  vassal  is  still  ambitious  for  promotion. 
But  he  will  not  fight  the  windmills  of  Spain  on 
an  old  mule  like  Don  Quixote.  He  prefers  mod- 
ern methods — such  as  dynamite,  and  other  pleas- 
ant little  novelties." 

He  pressed  her  hand  with  a  returning  warmth, 
slipped  the  belt  about  him,  and  started  down  the 
promenade  deck  again.  Something  prompted 
him  to  step  into  the  black  shadow  of  a  companion- 
way  as  a  figure  crossed  beneath  an  electric  over- 
head lamp  far  forward  on  the  deck. 

He  waited. 

The  figure  approached  noiselessly. 

It  was  the  Duke!  He  was  wearing  slippers, 
with  felt  soles  apparently,  for  his  steps  caused  no 
sound.  Jarvis  watched  him  with  a  strange  mis- 
giving— a  fear  not  for  himself.  Yet  he  deemed 
it  wiser  to  wait  for  developments. 

Up  and  down  the  deck  paced  the  nervous,  noise- 
less figure.  At  last  the  Duke  returned  and  disap- 
peared from  view,  through  the  door  by  which  he 
had  entered  the  Kentuckian's  view. 

"  I  wonder  what  that  meant  ?  "  thought  Jarvis. 


164  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Perhaps  he  is  having  a  fight  with  his  conscience 
— just  as  I  have  been  doing." 

And  he  watched  the  speeding  waves,  racing 
past  the  great  vessel  as  it  seemed — for  so  steady 
was  the  swift  advance  of  the  ship  that  it  seemed 
they  were  on  dry  land,  rather  than  the  boundless 
expanse  of  the  depths. 

"  Here  I  am — after  all  my  education,  all  the 
work  of  years,  to  advance  myself,  running  away 
from  my  own  country — an  escaped  gun-man,  just 
like  an  East  Side  thug." 

In  the  comfortable  calm  of  the  shipboard  life, 
with  unfamiliar  scenes,  away  from  the  reminders 
of  his  tragedy  at  Meadow  Green,  it  did  not  now 
seem  a  fine  thing  that  he  had  done. 

Man  is  not  normally  a  destroyer  of  his  own 
kind — and  his  fine  instincts  were  asserting  them- 
selves. Yet,  after  all,  despite  his  vow  to  his 
father,  this  had  been  actual  self-defense. 

The  other  had  fired  the  first  shot:  he  had 
planned  to  trap  him  with  a  decoy,  and  in  the  end 
it  was  survival  of  the  fittest. 

These  thoughts   had  been    frequently  in  his 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       165 

mind,  but  he  had  resolutely  driven  them  from 
him.  Now  they  were  nearing  another  port,  a 
great  commercial  cross-ways  of  the  travel  world. 
Here  again  he  was  coming  within  the  grasp  of 
the  law. 

He  was  not  too  certain  that  all  had  been 
given  up,  in  that  questioning  pursuit  of  the  Prin- 
cess and  her  party.  That  broken  door  lock  might 
yet  admit  the  hand  of  legal  vengeance. 

"  And  that  Duke  ?  He'll  try  to  earn  that  five 
thousand  dollars  surely  enough  now.  Well,  I'd 
better  be  worrying  over  my  own  future  instead 
of  the  dead  past.  They've  said  '  let  the  dead  past 
bury  itself,  and  don't  climb  the  graveyard  fence/ 
That's  good  logic.  But  I'd  better  be  looking  to- 
ward some  of  the  fences  ahead.  I  wonder  what 
is  on  the  paper?  " 

He  returned  to  his  stateroom,  where  Rusty  was 
dozing  in  a  chair,  waiting  for  the  good-night  in- 
structions. 

Jarvis  sat  down  and  studied  the  fragment.  He 
sat  bolt  upright,  at  first  with  rage  and  then  a 
growing  amusement. 


166  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Look  here,  Rusty.  This  Duke  is  trying  to 
put  one  over  on  me,"  he  declared,  waking  his 
servant. 

"Huh?  What's  dat,  Marse  Warren?"  and 
Rusty  rubbed  his  eyes  drowsily. 

"  Do  you  see  what  this  paper  is  ?  " 

"  Looks  like  a  telegram  letter,  boss." 

"  That's  a  wireless  blank,  Rusty.  It  has  never 
been  sent.  It  is  the  first  draft.  See — the  words 
are  crossed  out  here,  and  a  sentence  changed 
there.  The  person  who  wrote  this  message  tried 
to  save  money,  by  cutting  it  down,  just  as  we, 
back  home,  waste  a  dollar's  worth  of  time,  trying 
to  shorten  a  telegraph  message  into  ten  words. 
Isn't  that  reasonable  ?  " 

"  Yassir.  But  what  does  it  mean  ?  I  don't 
read  no  sich  langwidge." 

Jarvis  smiled. 

"  It's  in  Spanish.  It's  addressed  to  Scotland 
Yard,  in  London." 

"What's  dat?     Is  it  some  schoolhouse  lot?" 

"  It's  detective  headquarters,  Rusty.  And  it  is 
about  me." 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       167 

"  About  you-all !  "  Rusty  was  wide  awake  by 
this  time,  in  all  truth.  He  had  an  instinctive  sus- 
picion of  anything  connected  with  brass  buttons 
and  detectives. 

"  Yes.  It  warns  Scotland  Yard  that  a  man 
named  Warren,  on  this  steamship,  is  wanted  by 
the  New  York  police,  and  that  I  should  be  ar- 
rested before  the  passengers  can  leave." 

"  Who  signed  dat  mizzable  contraption  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  signed,  Rusty.  The  only  person  who 
writes  Spanish  and  who  could  be  so  deeply  in- 
terested in  my  wickedness  is  that  high  and  mighty 
relative  of  the  Princess.  He  wrote  it  in  Spanish 
so  the  wireless  operator  probably  wouldn't  notice 
or  understand  the  message." 

"  Well,  Marse  Warren,  dis  is  a  ship — dey  alluz 
has  ropes.  Can't  you  climb  overboard  when  she 
is  hitched  to  de  wharf  boat?  " 

Jarvis  was  thinking  rapidly.  He  looked  at  his 
watch. 

"  The  detectives  will  come  on  with  the  pilot 
boat,  Rusty,  which  I  understand  meets  the  Mau- 
retania  about  eight  or  ten  miles  offshore.  There 


1 68  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

won't  be  any  chance  on  the  wharfboat.  But  that 
gives  me  a  good  idea — however,  it  doesn't  seem 
right  to  make  the  Duke  of  Alva  waste  his  hard- 
earned  coin  on  wireless  messages.  There's  no 
free  list  with  Marconi,  you  know." 

Jarvis  was  walking  up  and  down  the  stateroom 
nervously  by  this  time. 

"  Rusty,  in  my  suitcase  is  an  old  suit  of  clothes 
which  I  put  in  to  use,  if  I  had  to  jump  the  town 
on  account  of  Marcum.  I  thought  I  might  go  to 
the  mountains  when  I  went  over  to  the  Belmont 
Hotel.  Now,  get  it  out,  and  those  old  tennis 
shoes,  and  that  cap." 

"  Whaffor,  Marse  Warren?  "  The  big  whites 
of  his  eyes  were  rolling — an  indication  that  Rusty 
Snow's  mind  was  not  as  much  at  ease  as  usual. 
"  You  ain't  gonta  do  nothin'  dangerous,  is  you, 
Marse  Warren?  Remember  you-all  is  de  oney 
one  left  in  de  fam'ly  an'  you's  got  to  look  after 
yohself." 

Warren  placed  a  kindly  hand  on  the  negro's 
shoulder. 

"  Rusty,  I  remember  that  once  when  Meadow 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       169 

Green  got  too  small  for  you,  years  ago,  you 
started  out  with  a  minstrel  show — '  The  Dark- 
town  Merrymakers,'  they  called  it." 

This  leap  over  the  chasm  of  years  was  too 
much  for  Rusty. 

"  Yassir,"  he  agreed,  after  recovering  from  his 
surprise.  "  But,  I  had  to  walk  back  home." 

"  The  thing  I  want  to  know,  Rusty,  is  whether 
you  learned  how  to  act  when  you  were  with  that 
troupe.  Did  you?" 

"  Did  I  ?  Marse  Warren,  dere  wasn't  no  amo- 
tion  dat  wasn't  developed  in  me  on  dat  trip — I 
started  off  laughin'  and  came  back  like  a  weepin' 
angel." 

"  Ha,  ha !  "  laughed  Jarvis.  "  That's  splendid. 
Now,  Rusty,  I  want  to  have  you  do  some  more 
play-acting — only  turn  it  around.  This  time  I 
want  you  to  go  away  weeping,  and  we'll  come 
back  laughing ! " 

Rusty  was  actually  offended. 

"  Ah,  Marse  Warren.  You's  pickin'  on  de  ole 
nigger.  Dat  was  w'en  I  was  a  young  an'  sassy 
coon.  No  moh-actin'  fer  mine." 


170  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  That's  just  what  you've  got  to  do,  Rusty. 
Obey  orders  or  walk  back  to  New  York !  " 

Rusty  blinked  and  grumbled  to  himself.  Then, 
as  usual,  he  acquiesced  with  that  famous  grin. 

"  Oh,  Marse  Warren,  I'm  game  fer  anything 
dat  you  is.  What  is  de  play?  " 

"  I  think  we  can  call  this  one  '  Why  Dukes 
Leave  Home,'  Rusty.  Now,  you  get  busy  with 
those  clothes,  and  pack  up  the  suitcases  again,  so 
they  won't  be  missed.  I'm  going  on  the  boat 
deck,  over  us,  for  a  little  walk  and  some  think- 
ing." 

Jarvis  was  gone  for  about  fifteen  minutes. 
Rusty  was  beginning  to  get  nervous  by  the  time  he 
had  returned.  His  hands  and  face  were  sooty. 

"  Where  you-all  been,  Marse  Warren  ? 
Climbin'  up  on  de  smokestack?  " 

"  No,  just  investigating  things.  Now,  after  I 
write  this  note  I  will  tell  you  about  your  acting 
and  give  you  a  rehearsal.  I  haven't  any  time  to 
lose,  Rusty." 

Warren  wrote  very  carefully,  tearing  the  paper 
up  several  times  and  throwing  the  fragments 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       171 

through  the  open  porthole,  for  this  was  an  outside 
stateroom.  At  last  he  had  finished  it. 

He  smiled  over  it  more  than  once,  finally  sealed 
it,  and  laid  it  carefully  in  the  center  of  the  little 
folding  writing-desk,  where  it  was  in  plain  view 
from  the  door. 

Then  he  began  to  disrobe,  changing  to  the 
rough  old  suit  and  the  tennis  shoes.  He  dis- 
pensed with  undergarments  and  hose. 

"  Now,  Rusty,  I  want  you  to  go  down  to  the 
steward  of  the  second  cabin  and  tell  him  you  are 
very  hungry.  Get  some  good  sliced  meat,  some 
biscuits,  and  some  fruit.  Wrap  it  up  in  paper — I 
know  it's  late,  but  there's  always  someone  on 
watch  in  the  pantry.  A  little  American  money 
will  go  a  long  way  with  these  British  stewards. 
Hurry  back." 

As  soon  as  Rusty  was  out  of  the  room,  Jarvis 
wrapped  the  money-belt  firmly  about  his  body, 
under  the  flannel  shirt.  He  placed  some  gold 
coins  in  a  handkerchief,  which  he  tied  into  a  knot. 
Then  he  slipped  out  to  the  promenade  deck,  walk- 
ing along  its  deserted  length  to  the  room  of  the 


172  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Princess.  He  tapped  on  the  window  of  the  par- 
lor of  the  suite  until  the  door  opened  slightly. 

Nita's  frightened  voice  came  to  him.  He  an- 
swered reassuringly. 

"  It  is  Warren.  I  want  to  speak  to  the  Prin- 
cess." 

The  maid  hurried  back,  and  brought  her  mis- 
tress. Warren  spoke  to  her  in  a  whisper. 

"  I  understand  the  treachery,"  he  said.  "  Have 
no  fear.  I  will  meet  you  at  Seguro  when  you 
arrive.  Be  surprised  at  nothing — and  take  care 
of  Rusty,  if  he  needs  it.  I  intend  winning  that 
five  thousand  dollars  even  if  the  Duke's  note 
goes  to  protest !  Good-by !  " 

She  felt  his  warm,  strong  hand  clasping  hers. 
A  great  dread  came  over  her — an  unusual  sensa- 
tion it  was.  Yet  she  said  nothing,  for  some 
strange  reason  inexplicable  to  herself. 

She  passed  a  sleepless  night. 

Next  morning  the  news  spread  over  the  ship 
like  wildfire  that  a  first  cabin  passenger  was  miss- 
ing! 

All. his  belongings  were  in  order;  his  clothes 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       173 

hung  up  carefully  in  the  wardrobe,  just  as  he  had 
undressed,  assisted  by  his  faithful  valet. 

And  that  poor  unfortunate — how  he  sobbed 
and  beat  his  portly  bosom  over  the  grief  which 
was  racking  the  loyal  African  heart.  The  Duke 
of  Alva  went  to  the  captain  to  inquire  about  the 
terrible  affair. 

"  Yes,  sir.  He  is  gone.  A  pleasant,  courteous 
fellow,  too.  Always  minded  his  own  business, 
never  complained.  It's  too  bad.  Too  bad.  And 
that  letter  he  left — it  nearly  broke  my  heart — 
and  I'm  a  gruff  old  sea-dog,  and  have  seen  many 
a  tragedy  in  my  years  as  a  master !  " 

The  captain  wiped  his  eye  with  the  back  of  his 
hand. 

The  Duke  fingered  his  cane  nervously. 

"  But  the  note,  sir.  What  did  that  say  ?  As 
the  cousin  of  her  exalted  Highness,  Princess 
Maria  Theresa  of  Aragon,  I  insist  on  knowing 
about  this  strange  person.  He  was  in  my  cousin's 
employ.  She  is  entitled  to  know  what  sort  of  a 
person  he  was." 

The  captain  glared  angrily  at  the  Duke. 


174  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  I  am  the  commander  of  this  vessel,  sir.  On 
the  high  sea,  I  am  in  supreme  control,  and  know 
how  to  run  the  Mauretania  without  advice  from  a 
bloody  Spanish  popinjay!  I  will  turn  that  letter 
over  to  the  authorities  when  we  land."  The  cap- 
tain spluttered  indignantly. 

"  They  will  meet  the  boat  as  the  pilot  comes 
on  board.  I  sent  them  a  wireless ! "  cried  the 
Duke. 

"  How  dare  you  go  over  my  head,  in  any  matter 
of  discipline  on  this  vessel  ?  "  cried  the  raging 
commander.  "  What  do  you  mean  by  such  a 
thing?  I  am  the  one  to  warn." 

The  Duke  was  embarrassed,  for  he  felt  the 
helplessness  of  his  position  before  this  legalized 
tyrant  of  the  deep. 

"  I've  a  mind  to  think  all  was  not  well  with 
this  unfortunate  young  man,  from  the  tone  of  his 
letter  before  he  jumped  overboard.  Not  a  thing 
was  missing  from  his  wardrobe,  but  the  pajamas 
he  wore — when  he  ran  out  on  the  deck.  At 
least,  we  find  no  clothes  missing !  I'll  have  some- 
thing to  say  to  Scotland  Yard  myself !  " 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       175 

"  But  the  man  threatened  to  shoot  me  if  I 
spoke  to  you  or  any  of  the  officers  about  him. 
Now  that  he  is  dead  I  don't  fear  him." 

"Huh!"  snorted  the  captain.  ''You  look 
about  the  type  of  man  who  wouldn't  fear  the 
dead.  But  what  about  ghosts,  young  man! 
What  about  ghosts?  Did  you  stop  to  think  of 
ghosts  after  people  are  dead  ?  " 

This  perfectly  innocent  question  of  the  sea- 
faring, superstitious  mind  had  a  curious  effect 
upon  the  nobleman. 

"  Carramba! "  he  muttered  between  his  teeth, 
and  turned  away  with  a  white  face.  "  I  wonder 
what  could  have  been  in  that  letter?  " 

And  the  captain  glowered  at  him  as  he  walked 
nervously  down  the  companionway  to  his  lonely 
stateroom,  to  brood  in  a  state  of  miserable  appre- 
hension. 

Toward  dinner-time  the  pilot  boat  was  sighted. 
Several  men  clambered  on  board,  as  well  as  that 
official.  They  sought  the  captain,  and  then  visited 
the  Princess.  Carlos  took  good  care  to  be  in  her 
suite  when  they  came. 


176  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Rusty,  weeping  as  though  his  heart  were 
broken,  detailed  the  sad  conversation  which  he 
had  held  the  preceding  night  with  his  unfortunate 
employer. 

"  Poh  Marse  Warren !  Ah'll  nebber  see  'im 
again — until  de  time  for  de  ghost !  " 

At  this  speech  Maria  Theresa  observed  a  nerv- 
ous twitching  about  the  mouth  of  her  noble  kins- 
man. 

Then  Rusty  became  so  incoherent  in  his  sorrow 
that  they  could  get  no  satisfaction  out  of  him. 
They  studied  the  circumstances  of  the  case  and 
made  their  notes,  with  frequent  whispered  con- 
ferences. Next  to  Rusty,  the  Duke  was  the  most 
unhappy  person  present,  although  the  Princess 
showed  the  strain  of  her  uneasiness. 

After  the  men  completed  the  first  quizzing, 
they  repaired  once  more  to  Warren's  stateroom 
to  seek  for  other  papers. 

When  they  had  been  gone  a  minute  or  so, 
Carlos  waved  Nita  out  of  the  room.  That  young 
person  could  look  otherwise  than  melting  with 
her  black  eyes  when  occasion  demanded.  This 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       177 

glance  was  of  the  sparkling  kind  which  would 
kill! 

"  Tell  me,  my  dear  Maria  Theresa,"  began 
Carlos,  after  some  stammering,  "  did  you  inform 
the  detectives  about  the  money-belt  which  he  gave 
to  you  ?  " 

"  Naturally  not.  That  was  his  affair,  and  the 
property  passed  out  of  his  possession  when  I  be- 
came stakeholder,  according  to  the  laws  of 
wagers,  did  it  not?  " 

"  Ah,  yes.  You  are  a  brilliant  girl.  And  a 
logical  one,  too.  Well,  give  it  to  me,  then,  as  the 
affair  is  settled.  I  have  several  debts  which  I 
would  like  to  pay  as  we  pass  through  London." 

The  Princess'  eyes  blazed  but  her  voice  was 
smooth. 

"  So,  my  cousin,  you  claim  your  wager  thus 
promptly.  Are  you  aware  that  it  would  look 
bad  for  you  if  the  detectives  knew  you  had  bet 
this  enormous  sum — and  now  were  the  gainer 
because  of  his  disappearance?  Tell  me,  Carlos, 
do  you  know  any  more  than  the  rest  of  us  about 
the  Ghost  Breaker?" 


1 78  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

The  man  rose  to  his  feet,  his  knees  wavering, 
and  then  with  a  supreme  effort  he  steadied  him- 
self against  the  back  of  the  chair.  His  eyes  were 
distended  and  the  handsome  mouth  sagging. 

"  Madre  de  Dios!"  he  cried  appealingly — all 
nonchalance  and  scorn  now  missing  from  his 
mien,  "  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you — my 
blood  relative — the  woman  I  adore,  could  believe 
such  a  thing?" 

The  girl  looked  away.  He  could  not  see  the 
ironical  smile  on  the  scarlet  lips. 

"  Carlos,  I  have  said  no  such  thing.  But 
wouldn't  it  be  better  to  wait  until  we  reach  Seguro 
— as  a  matter  of  sportsmanship?  Our  family 
has  had  the  reputation  of  being  honorable,  even 
in  games  and  wagers.  I  am  nervous,  Carlos. 
This  has  upset  me  more  than  you  can  believe.  I 
will  never  mention  the  wager  again,  until  you 
bring  up  the  subject." 

And  she  retired  to  her  stateroom,  where  Nita 
dressed  the  soft  dark  hair  with  her  accustomed 
skill — and  a  smile  concealed  with  difficulty. 

The  search  was  ended.  The  Scotland  Yard  men 


WHEN  THE  SHIP  COMES  IN       179 

scoured  all  the  cabins,  from  steerage  up;  they 
even  quizzed  the  engineers,  the  stokers,  the  cooks, 
the  multitude  of  men  and  passengers.  No  clew 
could  alter  the  sad  deduction  which  they  had 
drawn. 

"  Well,  Captain,"  said  the  detective  in  charge 
of  the  case,  "  it's  a  sad  affair.  But  he's  better  off. 
We'll  take  this  letter  to  headquarters,  sir,  with 
your  written  report  of  the  circumstances.  What 
will  be  done  about  the  negro  servant  ?  " 

The  captain  shook  his  head. 

"  Poor  fellow,  he  is  heartbroken.  The  Prin- 
cess has  very  kindly  offered  to  take  him  into  her 
service.  The  letter  asked  that  all  the  baggage, 
clothes,  and  personal  property  in  the  stateroom  be 
given  as  a  farewell  gift  to  the  faithful  fellow. 
If  you  have  no  objection  I  will  let  him  take  the 
luggage  along,  when  he  leaves  the  ship  with  the 
party  of  her  Highness." 

And  that  is  how  it  was,  that  evening,  that  out 
through  the  dismal  drizzle  of  an  interminably  long 
day  Rusty  Snow  marched  down  the  dock,  carry- 
ing Warren  Jarvis'  luggage  and  two  satchels  of 


i8o  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

the  Princess  of  Aragon — another  loyal  retainer 
in  her  service. 

It  was  a  curious  ending  to  an  unusual  voyage. 

And  Carlos,  Duke  of  Alva,  breathed  a  sigh  of 
relief  as  he  passed  the  last  dock  policeman,  to  as- 
sist his  cousin  into  a  waiting  taxicab.  They  were 
to  take  the  night  train  for  London. 


XII 
WELCOME  TO  SEGURO! 

THE  Princess  and  her  party  were  delayed  in 
Liverpool  by  the  queries  of  the  authorities 
just  long  enough  to  make  them  miss  con- 
nections with  the  boat  train  at  London.  The  trip 
had  been  carefully  planned;  this  one  provoking 
delay  cost  them  another  close  connection  at  the 
station  in  Paris. 

"  Confound  it,"  declared  the  Duke  of  Alva; 
"  after  all  this  long  trip  it  seems  to  take  us  longer 
still  to  get  back  to  Seguro.  Maledictions  on  that 
miserable  American  pig.  He  brought  bad  luck 
from  start  to  finish." 

His  cousin's  face  had  not  its  usual  color,  but 
now  a  rosy  tint  flushed  up  for  a  moment  as  she 
answered  sharply. 

"  I  will  not  permit  you  to  speak  so  of  the  man 
who  at  least  volunteered  to  risk  his  life  for  me  and 

181 


182  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

for  my  brother.  He  proved  himself  more  the 
gentleman,  Carlos,  than  you — with  all  the  boasted 
advantage  which  we  believe  accompanies  a  title." 

The  Duke  was  silent,  morose  and  uncertain 
himself,  for  the  remainder  of  the  tiresome  ride. 

Rusty  was  humble  as  ever,  but  there  was  an 
expectant  look  in  his  rotund  face.  He  inquired 
many  times  as  to  the  exact  time  for  the  arrival 
of  the  train  at  San  Fernandez,  the  nearest  rail- 
road station  to  Seguro. 

From  here  the  party  would  travel  by  motor  to 
the  old  estate  of  the  Princess  and  her  family.  It 
was  a  twenty-five-mile  ride.  The  country 
through  which  the  train  was  passing  grew 
rougher  with  every  mile. 

After  irritating  delays  and  interminable  waits 
at  stations — for  train  service  in  Spain  is  the  worst 
in  Europe — San  Fernandez  was  reached.  Here 
they  were  compelled  to  wait  in  the  semi-modern 
hotel  until  an  automobile  could  be  obtained.  The 
long  ride  was  begun,  over  rough  roads,  no  roads 
at  all,  and  through  mud-holes  which  seemed  relics 
of  the  Flood. 


WELCOME  TO  SEGURO!          183 

"  This  makes  me  think  of  de  Arkansaw  Trav- 
eler," muttered  Rusty,  but  his  reminiscence  was 
unappreciated  by  his  tired  companions. 

A  blow-out,  delay  with  the  mending  of  the  tire, 
and  the  fall  of  darkness  wore  out  what  spirits 
were  left  among  the  four  voyagers.  At  last  the 
little  town  was  reached,  and  the  machine  was  com- 
pelled to  stop  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  by 
the  old  post-road  house,  where  a  sleepy  soldier 
was  guarding  the  road  for  some  government  pur- 
poses. 

As  the  lights  of  the  car  threw  their  garish  glare 
upon  the  portico  of  the  dilapidated  structure,  a 
man  in  English  clothes,  carrying  a  small  satchel, 
stepped  out  and  ran  down  toward  the  machine. 

"  Hoopey ! "  howled  Rusty  Snow,  with  such 
sudden  gusto  as  to  frighten  his  companions.  The 
Duke  stood  up,  trembling :  he  could  not  believe  his 
eyes.  Even  Nita  drew  back  with  a  scream  of 
horror,  which  turned  into  dumfounded  happiness 
as  the  unmistakable  features  of  Warren  Jarvis 
appeared  in  the  bright  glow. 

"  The  Ghost  Breaker!  "  exclaimed  the  Duke. 


184  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

The  Princess  merely  held  out  her  hands,  with 
a  happy  warmth  which  Jarvis  could  feel  through 
her  gloves. 

"  How  did  you  spring  out  of  the  earth,  just 
here?  "  she  cried. 

"  Well,  I  got  to  the  town  a  bit  late.  The  old 
carry-all  that  brought  me  broke  down  three  miles 
back  and  I  stumbled  along,  knowing  this  was  the 
only  road  which  could  bring  you.  I  stopped  here 
for  something  to  eat — and  the  place  is  so  old  that 
not  even  the  townspeople  come  there  any  more. 
.  .  .  The  food  was  older  than  the  town." 

He  tossed  his  grip  to  Rusty,  and  turned  toward 
the  Duke. 

"  It  strikes  me  that  I  won  my  bet,  your  Excel- 
lency ! " 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  We  thought 
you  were  drowned  at  sea." 

"  I  was  nearly  drowned  when  I  slid  down  a 
rope,  outside  the  ship  and  flopped  into  the  harbor 
as  she  lay  at  the  dock.  After  hiding  under  the 
cover  of  a  lifeboat  for  twelve  hours,  I  was  so 
stiff  that  my  quarter-mile  swim  was  the  hardest 


WELCOME  TO  SEGURO!          185 

job  I  ever  did.  On  shore  I  bought  new  clothes, 
and  took  the  first  train.  Q.  E.  D." 

"  How  did  you  get  here  ahead  of  us?  "  asked 
the  Princess,  still  misbelieving  her  senses.  "  I 
knew  you  would  make  it — but  how  so  fast  ?  " 

"  I  had  a  good  day's  start  of  you — even  with- 
out this  automobile.  But  let's  get  on  up  to  that 
castle  of  yours,  for  I  want  to  finish  up  my  job 
and  get  back  to  America." 

The  Duke  had  been  watching  the  expression  of 
the  American,  trying  in  vain  to  fathom  the  mys- 
tery." 

"  This  has  been  a  wretched  hoax — you  have  all 
been  in  league  to  trick  me !  "  he  began. 

But  Jarvis  interrupted  menacingly. 

"  Now,  listen.  No  whining.  I  stood  for  a 
good  deal — I  knew  about  that  wireless,  and  I 
guess  tricks  can  be  played  both  ways.  May 
I  ride  with  your  chauffeur,  your  Highness  ?  " 

She  nodded,  and,  the  obstruction  in  the  road  re- 
moved, they  journeyed  on,  slowly  but  more  or 
less  surely,  toward  the  distant  castle. 

"  We  will  stop  at  old  Pedro's  inn  to-night,  for 


i86  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

I  am  frantic  to  hear  of  my  brother,"  she  said  as 
they  advanced.  Carlos  was  too  deep  in  thought 
to  speak  again. 

And  up  at  that  same  inn  the  usual  nightly 
round  of  mediaeval  revelry  was  going  on.  This 
ancient  structure,  indeterminate  in  age  and  style 
of  architecture,  was  built  upon  uneven  ground. 
To  save  expense  and  trouble,  in  the  distant  days 
of  its  inception,  it  had  been  built  upon  two  levels, 
without  the  excavating  for  foundations.  Time 
and  the  weather  had  warped  and  twisted  the  old 
wooden  floors  and  beams  so  that  by  this  date  it 
had  numerous  levels.  Yet  the  remaining  furni- 
ture was  of  substantial  oak,  and  here  and  there 
could  be  seen  evidence  of  the  expenditure,  in  days 
long  past,  of  good  Spanish  gold. 

Asleep,  with  his  head  on  the  square  table  by 
the  fireplace,  was  Pedro,  the  old  proprietor.  Two 
villagers  sat  at  another  table  in  the  side  of  the  big 
room  playing  cards,  with  wordy  arguments  about 
their  winnings  and  losses. 

A  young  woman  of  perhaps  twenty- three,  dark- 
skinned,  dark-eyed  and  dark-tressed,  crossed  the 


WELCOME  TO  SEGURO!          187 

floor  from  an  adjoining  room,  to  answer  a  knock 
at  the  door. 

From  the  room  she  had  left  came  the  sound  of 
singing  and  mandolines. 

"  Hello,  Vardos — any  more  news  ?  "  she  asked 
of  the  peasant  who  entered  the  portal  bearing  a 
basket  of  food. 

"  Still  no  word  or  sign  of  the  Prince,"  he  said 
apologetically,  avoiding  her  scornful  look. 
"  Here's  yesterday's  basket  untouched  as  usual." 

"And  you  left  to-day's  basket  at  the  castle 
gate  ?  "  she  asked  sharply. 

"  Yes,  this  is  the  fifteenth  night,"  he  replied, 
looking  back  at  the  door. 

"  You  haven't  given  up  hope  yet?  " 

The  man  shook  his  head  sadly. 

"  I  gave  up  hope  when  he  went  in.  I  waited 
to-night  until  dark  before  I  came  away  from  the 
moat." 

"  Once  to-night  I  thought  I  saw  a  light  in  the 
tower,  Vardes." 

"  If  you  did,  Sefiorita  Dolores,  it  was  an  un- 
blessed flame."  He  sank  into  a  chair  '  weakly. 


i88  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Once  when  I  called  to-night  a  wail  came  back  to 
me.  It  sounded  like  a  sigh  of  the  damned.  It 
may  have  been  only  the  wind  through  the  grated 
window.  But  it  chilled  my  heart." 

"  You  are  a  silly  coward,"  retorted  Dolores. 
"  But  what  then,  Vardos?  " 

"  When  I  called  the  second  time  something 
moved  in  the  turret  of  the  keep,  and  my  soul  was 
joyful.  Then,  with  a  harsh  cry,  a  black  ugly 
bird  flew  from  the  turret,  straight  toward  where 
the  sun  had  set.  ...  On  my  left,  mind  you, 
the  sinister  side, — the  left — the  left !  " 

The  castanets  and  music  in  the  other  room 
grew  louder. 

"Oh,  if  the  good  Princess  were  only  here!" 
moaned  the  girl.  "  She  could  help.  She  could 
do  something." 

"  She's  on  her  way,"  he  told  her  hopelessly, 
"  but  what  can  she  do — what  can  anyone  do,  with 
the  imps  of  darkness  all  about  her?  " 

"  She  would  go  straight  into  that  castle  after 
her  brother.  Ah,  she  is  a  great  lady,  with  a 
great  heart.  Then  will  the  villagers  have  it  said 


WELCOME  TO  SEGURO!          189 

that  they  let  their  own  Princess  go  in  alone,  as 
they  did  their  Prince?  " 

"  God  forbid  that  it  should  come  to  that!" 
muttered  the  Prince's  retainer,  as  he  handed  her 
the  basket.  "  Good-night,  senorita." 

As  he  started  for  the  door  the  girl  called  after 
him. 

"  Will  you  go  again  to-morrow,  Vardos  ?  " 

"  Yes,  senorita.  I  will  go  forever,  until  I 
know  for  sure  that  it  is  useless.  Good-night." 

His  words  as  he  passed  through  the  old  portal 
were  drowned  by  the  cheering  and  applause 
which  followed  some  especial  favorite  who  had 
ended  a  song. 

Dolores  looked  sadly  at  the  basket,  the  tears 
streaming  down  her  face.  She  lifted  the  napkin, 
showing  the  simple  but  nourishing  food  which 
had  been  untouched  by  the  missing  Prince.  She 
crossed  herself,  with  a  whispered  prayer  for  his 
safety,  crossing  the  room  to  the  ancient  pantry. 

The  dreams  of  Pedro  were  rudely  interrupted. 
The  big  door  suddenly  opened  to  admit  a  charac- 
ter very  different  from  the  weaklings  who  made 


190  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

his  tavern  their  rendezvous.  He  was  dark- 
skinned  as  the  rest  of  the  crew,  red- faced  as  old 
Pedro  (from  the  same  faithful  indulgence  in 
vintages),  not  younger  than  forty,  yet  aggressive, 
vibrating  with  physical  power,  elasticity,  and  an 
overweening  insolence.  His  manner  of  approach 
— and  he  entered  this  tavern  with  the  same  studied 
grace  with  which  he  swaggered  into  half  a  hun- 
dred others — seemed  to  indicate  that  he  delighted 
in  disorganizing  and  terrorizing  whatever  he 
might  find  established  and  orderly — wherever  he 
might  find  it ! 

Beholding  the  somnolent  proprietor,  he  ad- 
vanced quietly  to  the  middle  of  the  big  room. 
Then,  with  malicious  enjoyment  of  the  effect,  he 
banged  his  riding-crop  violently  upon  the  table, 
close  to  the  tavern  keeper's  ear. 

"  Hey,  you  Pedro !  "  he  roared.  "  Wake  up, 
you  blockhead — wrake  up,  I  say !  " 

There  was  only  a  response  of  snores. 

"You,  Pedro,  attention!  What's  the  matter 
here  ?  Where  are  you  ?  Wake  up  and  stop  your 
dreaming ! " 


WELCOME  TO  SEGURO!          191 

At  this  the  startled  landlord  leaped  to  his  feet, 
bowing  through  force  of  habit. 

"  Ah,  Senor  Robledo !  One  thousand  par- 
dons !  "  he  gasped  timorously.  "  What  can  I  do 
for  you,  sir?  " 

"  You're  a  wretch  of  a  tavern  keeper,"  and  the 
newcomer  advanced  upon  the  unhappy  Pedro  as 
though  about  to  slay  him  for  his  drowsiness. 

"  Yes,  senor !  You  are  always  right."  The 
man  humbly  endeavored  to  collect  his  wits. 
"  How  may  I  serve  your  lordship  ?  " 

The  bully  swaggered,  puffed  his  cheeks,  and 
feeling  that  his  host  was  finally  awake  to  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation,  he  cried  out  once 
more :  "  My  horse  stands  outside  by  the  post.  He 
has  been  hard  ridden,  for  I  have  come  on  an  im- 
portant mission.  Varlet,  go  out  and  wash  his 
mouth,  dry  him  down,  and  don't  give  him  water 
until  he  has  cooled  off.  Are  you  finally  awake, 
you  idiotic  Pedro?  " 

The  tavern  keeper  gulped  fearsomely,  and 
bowed  his  most  fetching  bow,  without  result. 

"  My  horse  is  almost  dead  on  his  legs.     Be  kind 


192  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

to  him.  I've  had  a  hard  ride  over  these  miserable 
province  roads.  As  for  me — I  want  a  flask  of 
.  .  .  well  ...  of  something  decent.  I  know 
that's  not  in  your  line.  Step  lively  now;  and 
mind  you,  draw  it  from  your  private  cask.  My 
temper  is  no  better  than  it  should  be,  to-night." 

The  old  man  bowed  and  started  to  leave  the  big 
room. 

The  blustering  guest  howled  at  him  once  more, 
punctuating  his  remarks  with  the  butt  of  the 
whip. 

"  Where's  your  daughter?  " 

The  old  man  trembled  and  bowed  once  more. 

"  I'll  call  her,"  Pedro  said  apologetically. 
"  She'll  be  right  here,  sir." 

He  went  to  the  door  at  the  right,  and  shouted 
quaveringly :  "  Dolores !  Dolores !  Dolores !  .  .  . 
There,  sefior,  she  will  come  at  once." 

"And,  Pedro — if  that  rat-infested  larder  of 
yours  is  empty,  get  it  filled  before  the  Duke  ar- 
rives," added  Robledo.  "  Yes  .  .  •  .  the  Duke. 
He  is  coming  to-night.  Don't  stand  and  stare, 
but  hurry  up  and  see  to  my  horse." 


WELCOME  TO  SEGURO!          193 

"Yes,  seiior!   .    .    .   Yes,  yes!" 

And  he  tottered  away  on  his  errands. 

Dolores  had  entered  in  response  to  the  call.  At 
first  she  did  not  observe  the  newcomer,  whose 
back  was  toward  her. 

"  Yes,  father,"  she  began.  "  Why  do  you  wish 
me?" 

"  Dolores,"  Robledo  turned  toward  her  impa- 
tiently. "  Did  you  not  know  I  had  come  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it's  you  ?  "  and  there  was  a  scornful  sniff 
from  the  girl. 

"  Well,  well,  can't  you  say  you're  glad  to  see 
me?" 

The  jade  was  hard  to  impress,  where  others 
showed  abjection  before  the  terrorist. 

"  I  can,  but  I  won't.     Where's  my  father?  " 

"  Never  mind  your  father — I  want  to  talk  to 
you." 

"  Is  it  so,  Sefior  Robledo  ?  Well,  you  won't  in 
that  tone." 

He  intercepted  her  in  the  center  of  the  room, 
catching  her  wrist  and  turning  her  about  to  face 
him. 


194  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  What  do  you  want  to  say  to  me?  " 

"  You  little  devil !  .  .  .  Come  here,  don't  try 
to  get  away."  The  girl  was  tugging  to  release 
herself.  "  What's  come  over  you  these  days  ? 
You  are  about  as  fond  and  sweet-tempered  as  a 
tigress.  Anyone  would  think  that  you  didn't  care 
for  me  at  all.  What  have  I  done,  Dolores  ?  " 

"  It  is  what  you  have  not  done.  For  fifteen 
days  your  Prince  has  been  in  need  of  you,  and  you 
have  not  had  the  courage  to  go  to  him.  Let  go 
my  wrist." 

Don  Robledo  laughed,  yet  with  a  quaver  in  his 
voice,  for  there  was  a  depth  of  passion  here,  in- 
tensified by  the  spirited  resistance  of  the  girl. 

"  Who's  the  little  spitfire  trying  to  tear  to  pieces 
now  ?  " 

"  You !  "  she  snapped  back.  "  Don  Robledo— 
sword-fighter — toreador — fire-eater — hero  of  a 
hundred  duels!  .  .  .  You — Don  Robledo— 
coward! "  , 

He  clumsily  chuckled  her  under  the  chin. 

"  I  asked  you  to-day,"  she  continued,  as  she 
threw  his  hand  away  from  her  face,  "  I  begged 


WELCOME  TO  SEGURO!          195 

you  to  go  into  the  castle  and  rescue  your  Prince. 
I  ask  you  now  to  answer  the  signal  that  I  just  saw 
in  the  tower  window,  where  he  can  see  our  lights. 
Perhaps  he  has  burned  something,  a  scrap  of 
paper,  in  the  hope  that  some  of  you,  his  retainers, 
would  notice  it  and  come  to  his  assistance.  But 
— he  doesn't  know  what  a  pack  of  cowards  you  all 
are,  or  he  would  have  saved  his  matches.  So, 
it 's  Don  Robledo — coward!  " 

The  big  man  snarled. 

"  Coward — never  a  coward  in  a  fair  fight  in  the 
open,  and  I'll  meet  the  best  man  that  walks  the 
earth."  Here  he  faced  the  inquisitive  and  thor- 
oughly awed  villagers.  "  Any  two  or  three !  " 

He  banged  the  table  with  his  riding-crop  to 
punctuate  the  emphasis. 

"  I  don't  ask  you  to  kill  one  or  two  or  three 
of  these  poor  whimpering  sheep  of  Seguro.  I 
ask  you  to  dare  something,  at  risk  to  yourself. 
To  go  to  the  aid  of  your  Prince.  .  .  .There 
isn't  a  man  among  you — who  dares!  Dios! 
How  I  could  love  such  a  man!  " 

They  had  not  heard  the  thrum  of  the  motors 


196  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

on  the  roadway  outside.  The  door  opened,  and 
the  first  of  the  party  to  enter  was  the  Duke.  He 
walked  quietly  into  the  room,  overhearing  the 
words  of  Dolores. 

"  A  pretty  little  speech !  "  he  observed  sarcas- 
tically. 

"  Your  Excellency !  "  cried  Robledo,  taking  off 
his  hat.  "  Welcome  back  to  Seguro." 

"  Yes,  I  am  well  come  to  Seguro." 

The  natives  doffed  their  hats,  and  like  Pedro 
bowed  and  howled  in  the  time-honored  peasant 
way. 

"The  Duke!     The  Duke!" 

"  Pedro,  go  out  and  help  the  Princess  and  her 
servants  with  the  luggage.  I  want  to  speak  to 
you  alone,  Robledo.  Hurry,  while  the  others  are 
delayed  with  that  execrable  car.  I  walked  a  hun- 
dred yards  to  get  here  first." 

He  turned  toward  Dolores  with  a  scowl. 

"  Those  are  charming  sentiments  for  your 
fellow-townsmen,  whose  healthy  common  sense 
prevents  them  from  rushing  to  a  fool's  death. 
Still,  all  fools  are  not  dead  yet.  One  of  them  will 


WELCOME  TO  SEGURO!          197 

be  here  to-night.  And  you,  senorita,  will  doubt- 
less be  pleased  to  look  over  him,  as  he  has  come 
all  the  way  from  America  for  the  privilege  of 
entering  the  castle  and  playing  your  hero." 

Dolores  looked  at  Robledo,  as  she  parried : 

"  And  did  her  Highness  have  to  go  all  the  way 
to  America  to  find  him  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed.  He's  from  America,  where  all 
the  fools  come  from !  " 

And  the  villagers  joined  in  a  merry  chorus  of 
intelligent  laughter ! 


XIII 
"GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN!" 

DOLORES  had  hurried  upstairs,  where  she 
well  knew  there  was  a  tiny  attic  in  the 
rambling  old  building  which  acted  as  an 
excellent  whispering  gallery.    Every  word  spoken 
in  the  larger  room  below  could  be  heard  from  this 
vantage.     She  was  no  sooner  secreted  there  than 
she  heard  the  voice  of  the  Duke. 

"You  received  my  telegram  sent  to  San  Fer- 
nandez?" 

"  Yes,  Excellency.     Antonio  brought  it  over 
with  the  mail-bags." 

"  What  about  the  Prince  ?  " 
"  Ah,  Excellency   .    .    .   why  ask  ?     The  same 
news  as  before.     This  stupid  Vardos  has  been 
taking  food  to  the  castle  every  day,  but  he  is  too 
frightened  to  venture  into  the  miserable  old  pile 
of  stones.     It  is  most  droll,  your  Excellency." 
198 


"GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN!"         199 

"  Well  then,  Robledo,  I  am  satisfied  as  far  as 
that  goes.  But  you  have  work  before  you  of  a 
new  character." 

The  swordsman  struck  a  chair  with  his  riding- 
crop.  It  seemed  a  favorite  stage  effect  with  him; 
the  Duke  was  not  slow  in  catching  its  significance. 

"  Just  forget  these  little  affectations,  my  good 
man,"  he  said  haughtily.  "  None  of  this  bluster- 
ing around  me.  I  know  that  you  do  your  work 
well,  and  at  other  times  there  is  much  to  be  de- 
sired. Now,  in  this  case,  you  have  a  dangerous 
man  to  combat.  And  the  combat  must  be  final, 
no  matter  how  difficult." 

"  How  is  he  dangerous  ?  "  and  there  was  a  new 
note  in  Robledo's  blustering  voice. 

"  Unless  he  is  stopped  he  may  cause  trouble 
for  the  traditions  of  Seguro.  He  is  crafty  as  a 
contrabandisto,  cunning  as  the  snakes  of  the  Pyre- 
nees! He  has  been  brought  here  by  my  cousin 
the  Princess  to  make  some  special  investigations." 
He  laughed,  with  that  cruel,  mirthless  inflection  so 
characteristic.  "  She  should  have  left  that  to  me 
— and  she  will  be  sorry  ere  it  is  all  over.  This 


200  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

man  has  thwarted  me  twice  already.  Coming 
over  on  the  steamer  from  America  the  scoundrel 
disappeared  from  the  ship  most  remarkably,  just 
when  I  had  all  arranged  to  put  him  into  duress 
in  Liverpool.  I  have  yet  to  learn  the  secret  of 
it.  He  must  be  discouraged  .  .  .  you  under- 
stand, Robledo?" 

"  Excellency,  I  can  assure  you  that  the  Yankee 
pig  will  be  convinced,  in  a  language  which  he  will 
understand,  that  his  presence  in  the  castle  to-night 
is  quite  unnecessary.  Have  you  any  particular 
instructions  ?  " 

The  Duke  shook  his  head  and  grimaced  sug- 
gestively. 

"  Any  way  you  please,  Robledo.  You  under- 
stand my  general  ideas  on  such  subjects.  Means 
are  of  no  consequence  to  a  born  statesman.  Re- 
sults are  the  only  permanent  things  in  this  world. 
However — I  warn  you.  Don't  underestimate 
your  man.  He  will  shoot;  I  imagine  that  he  can 
shoot  quickly  and  without  a  tremor." 

"  Ha,  ha !  Good  opposition.  I  welcome  such 
an  antagonist — these  fat-brained  peasants  about 


"  GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN !  "         201 

here  are  too  simple  to  stimulate  me  to  good  work. 
I  have  been  growing  dull  and  commonplace — I 
am  almost  out  of  training,  as  they  call  it  in  the 
bull-ring." 

"  Come  then,  and  I  will  give  Pedro  some  money 
to  buy  drinks  for  the  stupid  dolts, — they  can 
drink  my  health :  it  is  none  of  the  best  these  days, 
Robledo.  My  American  trip  was  wearing.  It 
is  a  wretched,  unromantic  hole — not  a  country, 
just  a  great  mob  of  people." 

"  I  can  well  believe  your  Excellency.  This 
way,  sir." 

They  returned  to  the  big  room  of  the  tavern, 
and  Dolores  retired  from  the  temporary  confes- 
sional box.  Her  face  showed  mixed  emotions — 
but  predominating  over  any  other  influence  was 
the  great  desire  to  serve  the  rulers  of  her  family. 
Curiously  loyal  are  these  humble  peasants  of 
the  inland  Latin  districts.  Their  lives  follow  the 
monotonous  example  of  the  generations  before 
them:  as  their  grandsires,  their  fathers  were 
tradesmen  of  a  certain  calling,  so  do  they  follow 
the  strata,  contented  to  exist  with  the  conven- 


202  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

tional  beginning,  moderately  happy  middle  era, 
and  inevitably  stupid  ending  of  their  lives. 

It  is  this  which  is  so  pleasing  to  the  European 
aristocrats :  no  matter  how  bankrupt,  incompetent, 
disreputable,  the  class  theory  which  is  recognized 
by  the  masses  is,  "  Once  a  gentleman,  always  a 
gentleman." 

It  is  inconceivable  upon  the  Continent  for  a 
peasant's  or  even  a  tradesman's  son  or  daughter 
to  aspire  to  a  higher  level  than  that  of  the  family. 
Exceptions  to  the  rule  are  looked  upon  with  dis- 
trust by  superiors  as  well  as  the  lowly  equals: 
too  much  ambition  is  a  temptation  to  the  gods 
which  is  hardly  respectable. 

There  is  a  smug  contentment,  then,  in  the  feu- 
dal countries  which  is  the  surest  bulwark  of  the 
"  divine  right  of  kings  " — and  courtiers !  A 
pleasantly  distended  belly,  a  mellow  thrill  from 
cheap  wine,  a  certainty  about  the  repetition  of 
regular  meals  and  drinks,  with  enough  clothes 
and  shelter  to  maintain  relative  positions  with 
the  neighbors — this  year,  next  year,  and  twenty 
years  from  now  .  .  .  these  things  are  the  mess 


"  GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN !  "         203 

of  pottage  for  which  the  Esaus  of  the  kingdoms 
and  principalities  sell  their  birthrights  and  their 
souls ! 

Vardos — for  instance — bodyservant  and  sole 
military  retainer  of  a  princely  line  which  for  gen- 
eration after  generation  had  considered  itself  in 
humiliating  straits  unless  there  were  at  least  a 
thousand  lances  at  beck  and  call — old  Vardos 
had  been  thrown  into  a  mental  maelstrom  by  the 
sudden  change  in  the  lifelong  existence.  Sure 
of  his  meals  and  a  modicum  of  money  for  occa- 
sional visits  to  taprooms,  he  was  now  placed  in  a 
position  of  responsibility,  one  where  executive 
and  aggressiveness  were  demanded.  Here  old 
Vardos  failed,  because  he  was  a  peasant  true  to 
his  type.  The  poor  fellow  had  struggled  with 
his  grief  these  fifteen  days — now  he  felt,  with  a 
helpless  aching  of  the  faithful  heart,  that  he  must 
have  been  in  a  sense  responsible  for  the  death 
of  his  master.  He  had  pleaded  with  the  young 
Prince  not  to  enter  the  accursed  place. 

Insanity  and  suicide  though  it  seemed  to  be  to 
him,  he  could  not  help  it.  That  was  bad  enough 


204  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

— but  with  the  prospect  of  the  beautiful  Princess 
going  into  the  place  as  well:  life  had  become  a 
horrible  thing  to  him. 

He  sought  the  wayside  shrine  down  the  crooked 
village  street.  He  threw  himself  upon  his  knees 
before  it,  vowing  candles  to  every  saint  who  had 
granted  petty  favors  to  him  in  the  past ! 

He  faced  the  great  cathedral,  rearing  its  pale 
crest  in  the  dim  light  from  the  stars,  vast  and 
exalted  above  the  miserable  squalor  of  those 
whose  ancestors  had  created  its  grandeur  with 
their  inspired  devotion.  He  told  the  Holy  Fam- 
ily and  the  saints,  with  tear-choked  voice,  the 
quandary  of  his  noble  master,  and  begged  that, 
though  they  should  never  grant  him  another  re- 
quest, somehow,  somewhere,  they  find  and  bring 
a  gallant  adventurer  who  could  turn  defeat  into 
victory,  one  more  willing  and  competent  than 
himself,  to  die! 

And  the  answer  to  this  prayer  was  unburden- 
in  his  own  soul  with  semi-religious  phrases,  in  a 
Kentucky  accent,  addressed  with  unwonted  and 
even  picturesque  fluency  at  the  stumbling,  stodgy 


"  GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN !  "         205 

Rusty  Snow,  who  trudged  along  loaded  with  lug- 
gage and  an  insatiate  hatred  of  this  "  cussed  for- 
eign joint,"  as  he  labeled  it  to  himself. 

The  Princess  and  her  maid  had,  at  Jarvis'  sug- 
gestion, left  them  with  the  automobile  in  its  latest 
quagmire,  to  reach  the  shelter  of  the  inn.  So 
it  was  that,  as  her  vassal  and  his  vassal  strug- 
gled with  the  luggage  in  the  dark,  she  reached 
the  portal  of  the  house  of  Pedro. 

Robledo  was  hearkening  carefully  to  certain 
careful  instructions  from  the  Duke  of  Alva,  nod- 
ding with  a  smile  of  malicious  portent  at  the 
final  words. 

"  I  will  not  fall  short  of  my  former  reputa- 
tion, your  Excellency,"  declared  the  Don. 
"When  a  man  reaches  my  time  of  life,  after  a 
success  in  the  bull-ring  as  toreador,  in  the  army 
as  a  duelist,  and  in  the  private  retinue  of  so  dis- 
tinguished a  nobleman  as  yourself,  he  has  a  cer- 
tain pride  in  his  ability.  .  .  .  Indeed,  I  regret 
that  I  must  waste  my  talents  upon  a  stupid  pig  of 
a  Yankee." 

Shaking  his  head,  Carlos  drew  out  his  purse. 


206  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  The  man  is  no  idiot,  unfortunately.  He  has 
completely  won  the  confidence  of  the  Princess, 
despite  his  obvious  trickeries.  Now,  however,  I 
would  like  to  attend  to  a  few  little  tasks  of  clean- 
ing up  after  that  miserable  trip." 

Pedro  was  aproaching  them  subserviently,  a 
humble,  bobbing  head  betokening  his  anxiety  to 
please  the  fine  folk. 

"  Anything  else,  your  Excellency  ? "  he  stam- 
mered, overcome  with  the  pomp  and  majesty  of 
the  situation. 

"  Here,  my  good  man,  take  this  coin  and  have 
the  brave  lads  in  the  taproom  drink  to  my  health 
and  that  of  her  Exalted  Highness,  the  Princess 
Maria  Theresa." 

With  studied  carelessness,  he  dropped  the  coin 
upon  the  floor,  and  Pedro  chased  the  rolling 
golden  disk  with  surprising  agility. 

"  Then  bring  me  up  some  hot  water,  soap,  and 
towels.  You  may  prepare  a  hasty  supper,  as  well 
— but  let  it  be  fit  for  a  gentleman  to  eat !  " 

"  Yes,  yes !  Your  Excellency !  "  and  Pedro 
nearly  brought  back  his  rheumatic  spell  by  the 


"GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN!"         207 

renewed  bobbing  of  the  stiff  old  back,  as  he 
retreated  to  the  barroom. 

He  returned  promptly  after  breaking  the  glad- 
some tidings  of  the  treat,  and  led  the  nobleman 
up  the  stairway,  as  a  chorus  of  cheers  rang  out 
from  the  alcoholic  ward. 

"  The  Duke !  The  Duke !  His  Excellency  the 
Duke  of  Alva !  " 

Robledo  walked  to  the  door,  with  his  charac- 
teristic swashbuckler  rhythm,  and  stirred  them 
up  to  more  enthusiasm. 

"  Louder,  you  beggars,  or  I'll  give  you  some- 
thing to  yell  about — louder,  I  say !  " 

Dolores  had  slipped  through  the  doorway,  fac- 
ing the  road. 

Suddenly  she  danced  in  through  the  entry 
again,  happy  and  exultant. 

"  Her  Highness  has  come,  father.  Her  High- 
ness!" 

Old  Pedro  stumbled  toward  the  balcony  and 
peered  over  at  her  querulously. 

"Father,  father!" 

"  What  is  it,  Dolores?  " 


208  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Her  Highness,  the  Princess !  " 

The  old  man  bustled  down  the  stairs,  trembling 
with  added  excitement,  just  as  Maria  Theresa 
and  Nita  were  bowed  into  the  tavern  by  a  villager 
who  had  accompanied  them  from  the  delayed 
machine. 

The  peasants  trooped  into  the  room  from  the 
tap,  howling  with  mediaeval  enthusiasm. 

"  Your  Gracious  Highness  does  my  humble  inn 
great  honor,"  began  Pedro,  as  his  local  guests 
imitated  the  clumsy  courtesy  with  varying  ability. 

"  Thank  you,  Pedro,"  replied  the  Princess 
graciously  as  one  would  address  a  polite  child. 

She  held  out  her  hand  to  Dolores,  who  kissed 
it  reverently,  with  a  bow  and  a  bend  of  the 
knee. 

"  Your  Highness,  we  are  poorly  prepared  for 
this  great  favor,  ill  prepared  indeed,"  apologized 
Dolores.  "Your  exalted  cousin  gave  us  but 
short  warning  of  your  coming.  Our  humble 
tavern  is  hardly  fitting  for  a  great  lady." 

"  My  child,  any  place  to  remove  the  dust  of 
travel  will  do  for  me."  She  turned  toward  the 


"  GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN !  "         209 

villager  at  the  door.  "  Tell  my  chauffeur  that 
when  he  repairs  the  car  I  shall  want  it  kept  in 
readiness  to  use  again." 

Nita  advanced  anxiously. 

"  Your  Highness  is  not  thinking  of  going  to 
the  castle  to-night,  surely?  "  Her  voice  was  po- 
litely remonstrative,  with  a  note  of  apprehensive- 
ness  for  the  welfare  of  her  mistress. 

"  But  I  must  have  news,"  declared  the  young 
woman  impatiently.  "  I  am  frantic  with  worry, 
and  the  things  which  Jose  has  told  me.  Come 
to  a  room,  Nita." 

"  Ah,  your  Highness,  you  are  too  brave,  too 
determined.  You  are  all  worn  out  with  this  long 
trip.  Better  to  wait  until  daylight,  if  I  may  be  so 
bold  as  to  suggest  to  your  ladyship.  You  are  all 
unstrung  just  now." 

Maria  Theresa  did  indeed  show  the  strain  of 
the  nerve-racking  trip,  but  she  valiantly  shook  her 
head. 

"  Show  me  up,  Dolores.  When  Mr.  Warren, 
my  representative,  arrives  inform  him  that  I  will 
be  down  very  soon.  Come,  Nita,  for  I  know 


210  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

that  your  hands  can  rest  me,  with  their  skillful 
massage,"  and  she  spoke  wearily. 

Pedro  stepped  forward,  bowing. 

"  Allow  me  the  honor,  your  Highness.  I  have 
the  finest  chamber  in  the  tavern  prepared  for  you 
— a  fire  to  take  the  night  chill  from  the  largest 
bedroom." 

She  started  up  the  steps,  followed  by  her  maid 
and  the  old  man,  still  risking  a  strained  back  with 
his  excited  bows. 

Again  she  turned  to  Dolores,  with  a  strange 
nervousness,  to  say :  "  Do  not  forget  to  explain  to 
Mr.  Warren.  He  may  think  I  have  left  the 
tavern.  I  will  see  him  soon." 

"  I  will  give  your  commands  to  the  Sefior 
Americano,  your  Highness,"  promised  the  black- 
eyed  Dolores,  with  a  heightened  color. 

Then  the  Princess  disappeared  across  the  end 
of  the  balcony.  Dolores  walked  to  the  doorway, 
and  discerned  two  figures  approaching  with  a 
strange  slowness. 

"  Is  this  the  inn  ?  "  cried  a  voice,  with  a  slight 
foreign  accent  in  the  Spanish. 


"  GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN !  "         211 

"  Yes,  yes,  sefior.  Come  in,  senor,  we  are  ex- 
pecting you,"  replied  the  girl. 

The  villagers  were  still  grouped  about  the  door 
to  the  taproom.  Dolores  stepped  back,  as  War- 
ren Jarvis  and  Rusty  Snow  entered  the  big  front 
hallway,  and  blinked  in  the  unaccustomed  glare 
of  light. 

They  were  both  burdened  with  suitcases,  and 
two  of  the  Princess'  hatboxes.  These  they 
dropped  unceremoniously  on  the  floor,  with  sighs 
of  relief. 

"  We're  here,  Rusty,  with  both  feet!  " 

"  Yassir,"  and  the  negro  groaned  with  exhaus- 
tion, "  and  I'd  jest  as  lieve  be  back  in  Meadow 
Green.  Dis  don't  look  very  scrumptious  for  a 
Mrs.  Princessess'  plantation  house." 

"  This  is  no  castle,  Rusty.  This  is  only  the 
halfway  house." 

Dolores  could  not  understand  their  low  con- 
versation in  English — and  Af ro-Americanese ! 
But  she  had  studied  the  clear  features,  the  non- 
chalant bearing  of  the  tall  American.  She  turned 
toward  the  sheep-like,  staring  villagers,  and  with 


212  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

an  eloquent  wave  of  her  hand  she  cried  out  res- 
onantly : 

"  Gentleman — a  man! " 

Jarvis  was  lighting  his  cigarette,  and  he 
laughed,  with  a  side-remark  to  his  valet: 

"  Rusty,  as  the  Indians  said  to  Columbus : 
'  We're  discovered ! ' '  He  turned  toward  the 
girl.  "Did  you  by  any  chance  address  me,  fair 
senorita  ?  " 

"  I'm  calling  the  attention  of  these  valiant  gen- 
tlemen of  Seguro  to  the  only  man  with  spirit 
and  bravery  enough  to  enter  the  haunted  castle," 
she  declared. 

"  How  did  you  know?  "  and  his  eyes  widened 
wfth  surprise.  This  was  a  queer  place. 

"  All  Seguro  knows  by  this  time,  sefior." 

At  these  words,  Don  Robledo  swaggered  in 
through  the  door  from  the  bar.  He  pushed  the 
villagers  aside  with  contemptuous  roughness.  He 
even  thrust  the  girl  out  of  his  way  as  she  tried 
to  detain  him.  He  laughed  insultingly  into  the 
bland  face  of  Jarvis. 

"  So,  you  are  the  brave  American,  are  you? " 


•j 


"GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN!"         213 

he  cried,  surveying  Jarvis,  with  hands  on  hips 
and  stocky  legs  well  spread. 

Jarvis  puffed  cigarette  smoke  at  him  and  an- 
swered with  ingenuous  modesty. 

"  I'm  an  American.  And  here  "  (he  waved  his 
hand  to  Rusty,  who  saluted  with  divination  of  the 
tenor  of  the  interchange)  "  I  present  to  your 
notice  another  American.  In  fact,  we're  both 
Americans !  " 

"And  you  both  want  to  die?"  cried  Don 
Robledo,  drawing  a  stiff  forefinger  suggestively 
across  his  brawny  throat.  Rusty  was  reading  the 
pantomime  with  perfect  understanding.  He  made 
a  wry  face  and  rolled  his  eyes  at  Jarvis,  who 
responded  with  a  droll  wink. 

"  Well,  now  that  you  mention  it,  I'm  in  no 
hurry  about  it.  I'm  not  at  all  anxious  on  the 
subject." 

He  sat  down  in  one  of  the  carven  chairs  and 
continued  to  puff  his  cigarette  with  provoking 
amiability. 

Robeldo  leaned  forward  toward  him  and 
snarled : 


214  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  You  had  better  keep  out  of  the  castle  then. 
It  has  a  fatal  climate." 

Warren  laughed,  and  flicked  the  ashes  of  the 
cigarette  upon  the  sleeve  of  his  interviewer. 

"  Oh,  you  mean  the  castle  ghost — this  old 
rummy  who  can't  sleep  in  his  grave  of  nights? 
Ha,  ha !  I'm  not  afraid  of  a  little  trifle  like  that, 
senor." 

Robledo  stepped  back  threateningly,  and  yet 
with  hesitation  caused  by  the  perplexing  sim- 
plicity of  this  foreigner. 

"  No  ?  .  .  .  Well,  sefiorita,  we  gentlemen  of 
Seguro  will  gladly  drink  to  your  American  hero ! 
Here,  lads,  is  a  toast  to  the  maddest  fool  that 
ever  came  to  Spain !  " 

He  turned  contemptuously  on  his  heel,  with 
military  precision.  Then  he  chuckled  Dolores 
under  the  chin  with  a  leer,  to  have  his  hand  in- 
dignantly pushed  aside.  As  the  girl  glared  at 
him  with  a  flash  of  hatred  in  her  eyes,  he  stalked 
into  the  taproom,  followed  by  the  ready  topers. 
.  "  Pile  these  bags  on  the  table,  Rusty,"  ordered 
Warren,  as  he  smiled  winningly  at  the  girl. 


"  So,  you  are  the  brave  American,  are  you?  " 


"  GENTLEMEN,  A  MAN  I  "         215 

"  Yassir.  We  kin  use  'em  for  one  of  these 
yere  barracadies,  if  we  has  to." 

"  It  looks  as  though  we're  booked  for  a  warm 
reception  in  Seguro,  Rusty.  Doesn't  it?" 

Rusty  rolled  those  chalky  optics,  with  an  ex- 
pression of  mingled  drollery,  apprehension,  and 
confidence  in  his  master's  ability  to  lead  the  bat- 
tle. It  is  wonderful  how  much  expression  can  be 
condensed  into  a  darky's  eyes ! 

"  Yassir.  It's  some  tropical,  dat's  shore.  But, 
you-all  ain't  no  cold-storage  rooster  yohself, 
Marse  Warren.  A  little  Kaintucky  ammanition 
might  make  some  echoes  'round  dis  confabula- 
tion." 

From  the  taproom  came  loud  howls  of  derision 
from  the  associated  village  sports  of  Seguro. 

"  That  ward  heeler  seems  to  be  making  a  cam- 
paign speech,  Rusty.  He  may  be  making  a  few 
promises  that  he  can't  fulfill  after  he  gets  elected," 
observed  the  Kentuckian,  with  pursed  lips.  "  Lis- 
ten to  them  holler !  " 

Rusty  looked  over  his  shoulder,  while  Dolores 
studied  these  two  types  with  girlish  curiosity,  as 


216  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

they  chattered  in  their  alien  tongue.  She  had 
never  seen  a  man  unafraid  of  Don  Robledo  but 
his  distinguished  Excellency,  the  Duke,  before. 
It  gave  her  a  new  thrill. 

"  He's  a  mighty  nice  man,  he  is.  Mighty  nice, 
Marse  Warren.  He's  almos'  too  nice,  ain't  he?  " 

Warren  shook  his  head,  with  a  serious  look 
on  the  usually  laughing  face. 

"  No,  Rusty,  not  too  nice — yet !  He'll  be  a 
lot  nicer  before  he's  ten  years  older.  I  think  his 
education  has  been  neglected.  You  and  I  must 
begin  to  keep  school  around  this  township. 
There's  nothing  so  nice  as  education,  especially 
when  the  school-teacher  has  a  nice  long  rattan 
concealed  up  his  sleeve !  " 


XIV 
MORE  OBSTACLES 

DOLORES  approached  the  Kentuckian  po- 
litely, yet  eagerly. 

"  Pardon,  senor,  but  I  have  a  message 
for  you  from  her  Highness." 
"What  is  it?" 

"  She  instructed  me  to  tell  you  that  she  would 
see  you  very  soon." 

"  Thanks,  senorita.  And  may  I  ask — who  was 
the  cheerful,  frolicsome  individual  who  flattered 
me  with  that  polite  toast  ?  Is  he  one  of  the  royal 
family,  taking  a  little  vacation  in  this  neighbor- 
hood?" 

The  girl  reddened,  then  laughed. 
"  No,  senor.     He  is  well  known  in  this  part 
of  our  country.    His  name  is  Don  Robledo." 

Warren  lit  another  cigarette,  and  studied  her 
attractive  face  with   the  gallant  interest  of   a 
217 


218  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Southerner,  who  is  always  prone  to  admire 
beauty.  She  was  embarrassed,  yet  pleased,  under 
the  unmistakable  scrutiny. 

"  Don  Robledo.  He  seems  to  be  well  ac- 
quainted with  you,  sefiorita.  Is  he  one  of  the 
family?" 

"  No,  but  he  wishes  to  be !  "  she  snapped  out. 
"  And  he  shall  never  be  until  he  changes  his 
manners  and  ..." 

"  And  his  face  ?  I  don't  really  care  for  his 
face.  If  I  were  a  girl  I  would  never  leave  home 
and  mother  for  that  face.  But  of  course,  that's 
none  of  my  business." 

He  stopped  for  an  instant  to  absorb  the  rowdy 
racket  from  the  taproom. 

"  Either  he's  a  wonderful  spender  or  he  has 
unlimited  credit  with  the  bar  cashier.  Maybe 
he  eats  his  checks  ...  it  has  been  done.  But  I 
don't  like  that  name.  It  sounds  dangerous — and 
yet  it  doesn't  seem  to  mean  much,  after  all,  to 
me." 

The  girl  looked  at  him  earnestly. 

"  It  may  mean  much  before  you  reach  the  cas- 


MORE  OBSTACLES  219 

tie.  More  than  you  suspect,  senor — you  have 
been  the  subject  of  much  serious  talk  in  this 
tavern  before  you  were  ever  seen  here." 

"And  how  was  that?  I'm  really  a  very  un- 
important person,  you  know." 

"  Let  me  tell  you  something,  while  I  have  the 
opportunity.  You  are  in  great  danger  here. 
Senor,  I  wish  to  help  you.  I  have  tried  for  weeks 
to  stir  up  some  manhood  in  the  hearts  of  these 
cowardly  sheep  in  Seguro.  The  Prince  has  been 
missing  for  days,  since  he  went  into  that  castle. 
I  want  to  save  my  beloved  Princess  from  the 
same  fate  which  I  fear  overtook  him  when  he 
braved  the  horrors  of  that  castle.  It  is  a  place 
of  Satan,  senor." 

The  American  smiled  at  her,  as  he  asked : 

"  Now,  do  you  really  believe  in  all  that  super- 
stitious trash,  my  good  girl?  You  look  intelli- 
gent." 

The  girl  crossed  herself  piously. 

"  Have  we  not  been  taught  by  the  priest,  of 
the  fiends  who  haunt  the  earth  and  wreck  human 
happiness?  How  can  I  say  such  things  could 


220  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

not  happen,  for  the  sins  of  bygone  people  ?  Not 
that  I  would  think  anything  but  love  and  respect 
for  the  Prince  and  his  wonderful  sister,  her 
Highness !  But,  senor,  I  feel  the  same  as  do  the 
other  dwellers  of  Seguro." 

"And  how  is  that?" 

"  I  feel  that  strange  things  have  gone  on  in 
that  castle.  Even  a  great  gentleman  like  the 
Duke  says  so.  Surely  if  educated  noblemen  put 
faith  in  such  things,  we  simple  folk  are  not  far 
wrong  to  believe  what  we  are  taught.  But 
still  .  .  ." 

"  Yes,  there  you  are,  my  good  girl.  You  have  a 
'  but  still ' — and  that  means  a  doubt.  The  doubts 
of  the  world  have  been  the  foundation  stones  of 
modern  freedom — it  was  the  doubts  of  the  old 
farmers  and  traders  back  in  America  which  threw 
off  the  yoke  of  the  old  kingdom,  and  made  a 
-great  free  country.  If  you  have  a  doubt  you  may 
be  saved.  As  for  the  Duke — the  only  god  he 
pays  allegiance  to  is  himself — and  he's  not  been 
so  sure  of  that  divinity  during  these  last  icono- 
clastic ten  days." 


MORE  OBSTACLES  221 

"  I  don't  understand,  Senor  Warren?  "  she  re- 
plied, in  bewilderment. 

"  Of  course  you  don't,  or  you  wouldn't  be  kow- 
towing to  this  royalty  stuff,  and  you  would  hand 
a  bottle  to  that  Don  Roughhouse  or  whatever  his 
name  is,  right  on  his  classic  brow,  with  a  classic 
smash.  You  ought  to  see  how  an  American  girl 
would  treat  one  of  these  big  bullies !  Well,  what 
about  my  danger?  It  never  worries  me  when  I 
know  where  and  when  and  how  to  expect  it. 
Whatever  you  tell  will  be  absolutely  our  secret." 

Dolores  looked  at  Rusty,  who  was  struggling 
ivith  a  cigarette — he  was  more  accustomed  to 
Pittsburgh  stogies,  but  his  motto  in  life  was  based 
on  the  famous  advice  concerning  Roman  imita- 
tion! 

"  How  about  the  Senor  Moor,  senor  ?  May 
you  trust  him?"  she  asked  nervously. 

"  Rusty  is  no  Moor — he's  an  Afro-Methodist, 
my  girl.  He  can't  understand  Spanish  anyway, 
even  though  he's  the  best  little  guesser  this  side 
of  the  Ohio  River.  But  I'd  trust  Rusty  with  my 
life.  Go  ahead  with  the  danger  signals." 


222  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

She  heard  a  footfall  on  the  balcony  above 
them. 

"  Let  me  pretend  to  read  your  palm,  senor. 
I  know  we  are  being  watched." 

"All  right,  read  away — my  palm  will  show 
you  that  after  this  trip  through  Spain  my  clothes- 
line needs  washing.  But,  what's  the  fortune  of 
the  castle?" 

It  was  the  old  Jarvis,  now — blithesome,  devil- 
may-worry,  shrewd,  and  recovered  completely, 
through  the  change  of  scene  and  a  certain  new 
interest  in  life  which  the  reader  may  have  already 
divined. 

The  girl  led  him  away  from  beneath  the  bal- 
cony, to  the  side  of  the  big  fireplace.  She  took 
up  his  hand  and  examined  it  carefully. 

Nor  did  her  shrewd  eyes  miss  the  face  on  the 
balcony, — that  of  the  Duke  of  Alva!  She  ex- 
aggerated her  studious  examination,  and  then  in 
a  low  tone  proceeded  with  the  explanation  of  the 
lines  of  fate  and  life. 

"  Every  one  of  these  breaks  in  your  lifeline 
shows  a  moment  when  you  stood  face  to  face 


A ht  senor,  in  all  my  experience  I  have  never  seen 
such  an  adventurous  palm  .   .   ." 


MORE  OBSTACLES  223 

with  death.  Ah,  senor,  in  all  my  experience  I 
have  never  seen  such  an  adventurous  palm.  .  .  . 
You  have  stood  elbow  to  elbow  with  death,  and 
yet  those  little  squares  about  the  breaks  show  a 
guiding  spirit  of  protection." 

Warren  was  beginning  to  be  bored.  Yet  some- 
thing in  the  girl's  furtive  glances  toward  the  bal- 
cony, which  did  not  miss  his  own  sharp  eyes, 
convinced  him  that  she  was  endeavoring  to  get 
a  message  to  him. 

She  continued,  her  own  hand  trembling  un- 
mistakably. 

"  Ah,  Senor  Americano,  there  is  one  break 
which  has  not  yet  been  reached  by  the  line  of 
time.  The  protecting  square  of  your  guardian 
saint  is  not  perfect  there,  as  with  the  others." 

The  Kentuckian  laughed  incredulously. 

"  Oh,  I  guess  I  can  build  up  a  square  when 
the  time  comes  and  let  the  break  take  care  of 
itself." 

"  But  the  time  is  now,"  and  her  voice  was 
tremulously  low. 

"Now — what  do  you  mean,  now?" 


224  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

She  no'dded  her  head,  and  with  half-closed  eyes 
gazed  at  the  fireplace  significantly. 

"And  are  the  fortune-teller's  eyes  so  bril- 
liant and  so  keen  that  they  can  light  up  the  future 
and  behold  the  day  and  the  hour  ?  "  queried  Jarvis. 

"  Not  my  eyes,  sefior,"  and  her  voice  died 
down  to  a  whisper,  "  but  my  ears." 

The  step  of  the  Duke  was  upon  the  resonant 
stairs. 

"  In  all  my  experience  I  have  seen  but  one 
hand  like  yours,  sefior, — it  speaks  of  danger;  and 
that  hand  belongs  to  Don  Robledo,  to  Don 
Robledo!" 

The  nobleman's  voice  cut  short  the  seance. 
There  was  a  warning  note  in  it. 

"  Well,  Dolores,  and  why  are  you  not  attend- 
ing her  Highness  ?  You  know  the  house,  and  she 
needs  assistance." 

"  Pardon,  sefior."  She  stepped  back  and  cour- 
tesied  to  Carlos,  who  came  down  the  stairs,  ad- 
vancing toward  Warren.  "  I  will  go  at  once, 
your  Excellency." 

"  Good-by,  sefiorita ;  I'll  take  good  care  of  the 


MORE  OBSTACLES  225 

little  square.  Thanks  for  your  occult  wisdom," 
were  Warren's  smiling  words,  as  he  looked  at 
the  Duke. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Warren.  Looking  into  the  fu- 
ture?" 

"  Yes,  Duke,  and  the  immediate  future  prom- 
ises to  be  very  interesting.  That  little  fortune- 
teller has  occult  powers,  indeed.  A  dark  man  is 
to  cross  my  path  soon." 

Carlos  had  crossed  the  room  to  a  position  from 
where  he  could  look  into  the  taproom.  He 
seemed  to  be  satisfied  with  what  he  saw  there. 
He  turned  toward  the  American. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  such  foolery,  Mr.  Warren  ? 
I  had  thought  you  too  intelligent  to  believe  in 
superstitious  things  like  fortune-reading." 

"  I  like  to  believe  some  of  these  things  on  this 
occasion,  for  I  hope  it  means  someone  I  very 
much  want  to  meet." 

The  Duke  now  approached  him  very  earnestly. 

"  Mr.  Warren,  I  feel  a  certain  responsibility 
for  her  Highness,  and  all  that  pertains  to  my 
cousin.  The  prospect  of  your  death  to-night  is 


226  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

most  uncomfortable,  when  it  can  be  so  easily 
avoided  by  your  own  common  sense.  I  seriously 
advise  your  waiting  until  the  morning." 

"  So,  you  don't  think  I'll  come  back?  " 

"  I  think  that  if  you  go  to  the  castle  to-night, 
you  take  your  life  in  your  own  hands." 

Warren  opened  and  shut  his  sinewy  fingers, 
and  laughed  back :  "  I've  got  a  pretty  good  grip." 

"  Look  here,"  put  in  the  nobleman.  "  You 
Americans  are  noted  as  being  shrewd  traders. 
You  get  dollar  for  dollar  when  you  bargain — and 
generally  a  few  extra  dollars.  You  are  not  going 
to  give  your  life  away  for  nothing,  are  you?  " 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  worth  very  much,"  retorted 
Jarvis.  "  The  deal  was  made  on  a  bargain  day. 
My  life  happened  to  be  a  little  below  par,  and  a 
good  customer  came  along." 

There  was  a  comprehensive  sparkle  in  the  dark 
Spanish  eyes,  to  meet  the  twinkle  in  the  firm  blue 
ones. 

"  Ah,  I  begin  to  see  a  light.  Well,  Mr.  War- 
ren, I  am  willing  to  release  you  from  your  offer 
and  the  bargain  and  meet  your  terms  now." 


MORE  OBSTACLES  227 

"  Your  Excellency,  I  am  overwhelmed  at  the 
generosity,  but  the  price  was  paid,  the  receipt 
given,  and  the  bookkeeper  has  closed  up  the  office. 
I'm  on  the  job,  and  I'm  certainly  going  to  stay." 

The  Duke  snarled,  as  he  inquired :  "  I  sup- 
pose that  means  that  you  are  foolish  enough  to 
keep  faith  with  her  Highness?" 

"  Yes." 

"  I  never  saw  a  man  quite  so  anxious  to  be 
killed,  Mr.  Jarvis;  but  such  is  sometimes  the  case 
where,  as  it  has  been  said :  '  Fools  rush  in  where 
angels  fear  to  tread.'  " 

Jarvis  laughed  provokingly. 

"  I'd  rather  be  an  energetic  fool  than  an  angel 
with  cold  feet." 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  sir." 

"  Well,  I  understand  you,  your  Excellency." 

The  Duke  turned  toward  the  fireplace. 

"  I  am  sorry  for  you,"  he  remarked. 

Jarvis  walked  over  close  to  the  nobleman  and 
looked  him  straight  in  the  eyes,  as  he  spoke  with 
unusual  meaning  vibrant  in  his  voice. 

"  Your  Excellency,  your  sympathy,  your  offer, 


228  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

and  your  advice  are  all  declined,  without  thanks. 
...  I  once  saw  a  gambler  lay  down  four  aces, — 
just  think  of  it,  four  fat  aces.  He  looked  the 
dealer  straight  in  the  eye,  as  I  am  doing  now 
with  you.  Then  he  said,  '  The  play  ain't  natural.' 
.  .  .  Now,  you  have  tried  to  have  me  arrested 
on  the  steamer,  then  you  tipped  off  Scotland  Yard 
and,  for  all  I  know,  the  Paris  police,  too.  You 
have  tried  to  block  me  every  way  you  could,  and 
you're  a  regular  little  prize  blocker.  Suddenly 
you  express  the  utmost  anxiety  as  to  what's  going 
to  happen  to  me  in  the  castle.  You  generously 
offer  to  buy  me  off.  You  advise  me,  with  tears 
in  your  eyes,  to  stay  away  and  save  my  life. 
Shall  I  take  the  bait — hook,  line,  and  sinker? 
Duke,  '  the  play  ain't  natural ' !  " 

The  nobleman  clenched  his  fists  in  anger. 

"  You  have  intruded  into  a  matter  which  you 
neither  understand  nor  appreciate.  If,  as  you 
say,  the  play  seems  unnatural,  then  throw  down 
your  cards  and  stay  out  of  the  game." 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  no !  "  and  Jarvis'  voice  again  had 
that  provokingly  teasing  tone  in  it.  "  I'll  just 


MORE  OBSTACLES  229 

stay  right  in  the  game  and  play  my  hand  out — 
and  watch  every  deal." 

He  turned  toward  Rusty. 

"  Come  along,  and  let's  see  if  we  can  find  the 
landlord.  We'll  have  a  look  at  our  rooms,"  he 
said.  "  Hurry,  Rusty — don't  go  to  sleep — the 
bedrooms  are  upstairs." 

Rusty  was  very  thoughtful  as  he  picked  up  the 
bags  and  began  to  follow.  The  Duke  watched  the 
two  with  sidelong  glances.  Both  characters  were 
mysteries  to  him — so  different,  nonchalant,  and 
unaffected  by  this  serious  task.  Europeans  would 
have  taken  the  case  at  least  with  greater  serious- 
ness. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  Rusty?  Ift 
love?" 

The  negro  was  lost  in  a  deep  study,  as  he 
sniffed  the  air  in  a  thoughtful,  absent-minded 
fashion. 

"  Marse  Warren,  I'd  like  to  find  a  piece  of 
chicken!" 

"Great  Scott!  What  put  that  into  your 
head?" 


230  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Oh,  lawsee,  Marse  Warren,  I'se  powerful 
hungry !  It  ain't  human  to  be  so  hungry !  " 

"What— again?" 

"  No,  sir;  it's  de  same  old  hunger.  No  matter 
how  fast  de  train  go  I  jes'  cain't  leave  it  behin'. 
Oh  my,  if  I  on'y  had  some  po'k  chops  an'  a  little 
real  gin !  " 

Jarvis  started  on  toward  the  steps. 

"  Well,  you  come  on  now,  Rusty — you  don't 
eat  a  thing  until  we  finish  this  job." 

Rusty  shook  his  head  despairingly. 

"  Good  Lawd,  does  I  have  to  wait  ontel  you  is 
dead — before  I  kin  eat  my  vittles?" 

He  followed  his  master  across  the  room,  just 
as  the  Princess  came  to  the  balcony  and  started 
down  the  stairs. 

"Well,  Mr.  Warren,"  added  the  Duke,  "  all 
Seguro  will  be  buzzing  with  your  ghost-hunt  to- 
night. The  whole  town  will  sit  up  to  hear  the 
outcome." 

The  Kentuckian  turned  to  look  at  the  speaker. 

"  And  where  are  you  going  to  hear  the  returns 
of  the  battle,  your  Excellency  ?  " 


MORE  OBSTACLES  231 

"  Unfortunately,  I  must  leave  at  once — I  have 
an  urgent  summons  from  Madrid." 

Jarvis  shook  his  head  in  mock  sorrow. 

"  That's  too  bad,  sure  enough.  I'm  sorry 
we're  to  lose  the  inspiration  of  your  company. 
Won't  you  even  be  around  at  the  finish  ?  Surely, 
you  take  that  much  interest  in  the  little  breaking 
party,  your  Excellency." 

u  I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Warren,  but  I  must  go,"  an- 
swered the  nobleman,  writhing  under  the  sarcasm, 
but  never  losing  the  smooth  control  of  his  words 
and  studied  reserve. 

"  Well,  I  call  that  a  doggoned  shame ! "  and 
Jarvis  started  again  for  the  stairs. 

The  beautiful  girl  was  just  coming  down,  and 
the  Duke's  eyes  came  together  in  an  angry  squint 
as  he  saw  the  warmth  of  the  glance  which  she 
bestowed  upon  the  American. 

"  Here,  Pedro, — this  is  Mr.  Warren  and  his 
man.  Attend  to  his  wants." 

"  Yes,  your  Highness,"  and  Pedro  once  more 
strained  the  faithful  spine  with  a  series  of  gutta- 


232  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

percha  bows.  "  This  way,  sirs,  to  your  rooms," 
and  he  led  them  up  the  stairs. 

Jarvis  turned  on  the  step  and  faced  her. 

"  Your  Highness,  I  would  like  to  have  a  couple 
of  good  horses,  and  two  lanterns.  I  don't  want  to 
let  any  grass  grow  under  my  feet  on  the  trip  to 
the  castle  to-night." 

She  gave  the  order  to  Pedro,  and  he  promised 
to  bring  the  required  objects  with  sturdy  steeds. 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Warren,  looking  for  an  honest  man, 
like  old  Socrates?  "  inquired  the  Duke  of  Alva. 

"  Not  in  this  neck  of  the  woods,  your  Excel- 
lency !  "  and  Jarvis  disappeared  in  the  balcony 
entrance  to  the  old  line  of  bedrooms. 

Maria  Theresa  turned  anxiously  to  her  cousin. 

"  Carlos,  what  news  of  my  brother  ?  Have  you 
heard  anything  yet?" 

"  Not  a  thing,  Maria.     I  am  very  sorry." 

"  And  yet  I  heard  you  say  that  you  were  leav- 
ing for  Madrid?"  she  questioned. 

"  Yes.  The  message  is  from  his  Gracious 
Majesty  the  King.  You  know  how  important  a 
summons  that  is." 


Ah,  Mr.  W arren,  looking  for  an  honest  man,  like 
old  Socrates?" 


MORE  OBSTACLES  233 

"But  why  must  you  go  so  soon?  Why  not 
wait  overnight  at  Pedro's  tavern,  here?  " 

"  Ah,  my  dear  cousin,  you  know  how  long  the 
ride  before  I  connect  with  the  railroad  to 
Madrid." 

The  girl  wrung  her  hands,  nervous  at  last,  and 
her  appealing  eyes  would  have  softened  a  gentler 
heart  than  that  of  the  steely  Carlos. 

"  But,  Carlos,  my  brother — your  princely 
cousin — may  be  dying,  he  may  be  dead.  Here  am 
I  alone  with  no  kinsman  at  my  side  if  you  leave." 

The  Duke  protested,  dramatically. 

"  Maria,  I  must  obey  my  King !  " 

"To  leave  me,  after  all  your  protestations! 
You  have  not  the  time  nor  courage  to  stay  and 
help  me  in  this  hour." 

Carlos  laughed  bitterly,  pointing  toward  the 
distant  room  of  Warren's. 

"  What  need  of  me,  my  dear  ?  You  have  this 
marvel  of  Sir  Galahads,  the  Ghost  Breaker!  " 

She  dropped  her  head  and  answered  slowly, 
"  So,  that  is  your  excuse  ?  " 

He  caught  eagerly  at  what  he  deemed  his  op- 


234  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

portunity.  He  snatched  her  hand,  although  it 
was  as  promptly  pulled  away. 

"  I  make  no  excuses,  my  dear  Maria.  I  need 
none.  But  you  know  the  truth — that  Yankee 
adventurer  stands  between  you  and  me.  He  is 
of  the  common  herd, — you  and  I  of  the  bluest 
blood  in  Spain.  Send  him  away,  now — to-night, 
and  I  will  do  anything  for  you.  I  will  postpone 
my  journey  to  the  King,  at  any  sacrifice  of  dis- 
pleasure. I'll  send  one  of  my  men  into  the  castle 
to  find  your  brother." 

She  turned  scornfully  toward  him,  her  eyes 
flashing. 

"  Yes — you  will  send  one  of  your  men — but 
you  are  not  brave  enough  to  go  there  yourself. 
Yet  you  ask  me  to  send  away  this  man,  who  of  all 
of  you  is  the  only  one  willing  to  sacrifice  his 
life  for  me?  " 

Carlos  snapped  his  tapering  fingers  angrily,  as 
he  clutched  his  sword-cane.  His  swarthy  face 
was  chalky  under  the  stress  of  the  emotion,  as  he 
replied  savagely: 

"If  he  stays,  I  go!" 


MORE  OBSTACLES  235 

"Very  well;  then,  Carlos — you  force  me  to 
make  a  choice.  I  choose  a  real  man." 

Carlos  caught  her  by  the  arm. 

"  You  are  too  interested  in  this  worthless  pre- 
tender, Maria!  I  love  you  myself,  and  with 
the  keenness  of  love  I  have  watched  you  follow 
him  with  your  eyes,  have  seen  the  growing 
warmth  in  your  voice — all  through  those  days  on 
the  ocean,  aboard  the  Mauretania.  I  warn  you 
— royal  princesses  must  aim  higher  than  the  com- 
mon herd." 

"  Go,  Carlos  Hernando !  It  is  I  who  am  the 
superior — I  the  one  to  abjure !  " 

Jarvis  was  sauntering  down  the  steps,  and  he 
was  greeted  by  a  confused  look  in  the  girl's  eyes. 
Carlos  took  his  hat  and  coat  from  the  table. 
Maliciously  he  hoped  that  the  American  had  been 
eavesdropping,  for  thus  he  might  be  encouraged 
to  presumption — and  the  Duke  was  certain  that 
of  all  women  in  the  world  the  least  susceptible  to 
presumption  was  his  haughty  kinswoman. 

"  Well,  Maria,  you  are  sending  him  to  his 
death — and  as  for  you,  Mr.  Ghost  Breaker,  I 


236  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

wish  you  success,  when  you  beard  the  specter  in 
his  den!" 

With  mock  dignity  at  first,  Jarvis's  voice  grew 
more  menacing  as  he  completed  the  words  of  re- 
tort: 

"  Thanks,  your  Gracious  Excellency !  .  .  .  I'll 
do  my  best  to  tie  a  can  to  the  specter's  tail — and 
the  can  will  be  loaded  with  fireworks !  " 

As  he  left,  Warren  turned  with  a  cheery  grin, 
to  face  Maria. 

"  We  must  start  at  once,  Mr.  Warren,"  she 
urged,  "  for  any  moment  may  be  my  brother's 
last." 

"  Courage !  If  your  brother  is  there,  I'll  find 
him.  You  must  be  patient  and  remain  here, 
where  you  are  safe/ — try  to  rest  up  from  that 
blood-curdling  trip  from  Paris." 

"  But,  Mr.  Warren,  I  cannot  rest  or  even  sit 
still  until  I  know  what  has  become  of  him.  I 
shall  go  mad  if  I  am  left  alone ! " 

The  womanly  tears  began  to  stream  down  her 
face.  They  melted  a  hitherto  calm  portion  of 
Warren  Jarvis'  heart. 


MORE  OBSTACLES  237 

"  Now,  my  dear  child,"  and  he  paused  timidly, 
as  though  to  learn  whether  or  not  the  familiarity 
had  offended  her.  Instead,  she  looked  up  through 
the  long  wet  lashes  with  anything  but  an  angry 
glance.  "  My  dear  child,  I  must  insist  on  one 
condition." 

"What's  that?" 

"  Let  me  go  ahead  and  look  over  the  ground. 
I  will  signal  when  it  is  safe  to  follow.  I  have 
reasons  of  my  own  for  wanting  to  get  there  with- 
out losing  a  minute;  otherwise,  I  would  wait 
until  to-morrow,  to  look  it  over  by  daylight  and 
lay  my  own  trap.  But  I  will  surely  let  you  know 
if  I  have  found  him." 

"  How  can  you  signal,  Mr.  Warren  Jarvis  ? 
We  have  no  telephones  in  Seguro."  Jarvis 
walked  over  toward  the  old  paneled  window. 

"  With  a  light.  See  over  here — there  is  the 
castle;  you  can  of  course  see  it  through  the  win- 
dow. I  was  asking  all  sorts  of  questions  of  old 
Pedro  when  he  was  in  my  room.  He  knows 
every  foot  of  that  land,  even  if  he  has  been  afraid 
to  go  near  it  for  fifteen  years  or  so." 


238  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Well,  what  will  you  do?  " 

"  Just  as  Paul  Revere's  friend  did  in  the  early 
days  in  my  country :  I'll  put  a  light  somewhere  in 
one  of  those  towers,  and  you  can  see  it  from  this 
room  or  through  one  of  the  windows  upstairs 
here.  It  will  shine  in  an  hour  at  the  most.  You 
won't  have  long  to  wait !  " 

"  But  if  it  does  not  shine? "  and  she  paled  at 
the  thought. 

"  I'll  be  too  busy  swapping  lead  for  brimstone 
with  Mr.  Spook  to  stop  and  hang  a  lantern !  " 


XV 
MYSTERIOUS  INFLUENCES 

THE  Princess  of  Aragon  gazed  into  the 
republican  eyes  of  the  Kentuckian  with  a 
glowing  fire  which  was  contrary  to  all 
rules  and  conventions  of  the  divine  right  of 
kings.  No  common  man  should  have  been  given 
such  a  glimpse  of  empire;  but,  in  justice  to  the 
magic  of  such  glances  which  come  once  from  the 
eyes  of  every  good  woman,  for  seme  good  man,  in 
each  lifetime,  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  their 
potent  wizardry  turns  the  commonplace,  even  the 
tawdry  surroundings  of  a  thousand  million  every- 
day lives,  into  dazzling  kingdoms  of  love. 

Warren  Jarvis  felt  the  thrill,  and  he  lost  his 
humorous  poise:  the  heart-breaking  seriousness 
of  it  all  now  came  to  his  realization.  How  he 
wanted  to  draw  her  to  him,  forgetting  all  the 
differences  in  nativity,  the  social  and  political 
239 


240  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

conditions  which  separated  them  so  insufferably! 

Back  in  New  York  she  had  been  to  him  as  any 
other  sweet,  well-bred  girl;  but  here,  in  the  Land 
of  the  Middle  Ages,  there  were  centuries  be- 
tween them. 

He  wished  to  touch  her  hand,  and  yet  so  deep 
was  his  reverence — not  for  her  family  position, 
but  for  her  own  proud  poise  of  soul — that  he 
stifled  his  desire  and  dropped  his  eyes,  ashamed 
of  his  own  weakness! 

The  girl  divined  his  thoughts  better  than  he 
realized. 

She  had  stepped  upon  the  low  platform  at  the 
base  of  the  stairs,  and  thus  her  face  was  on  a 
level  with  his. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Jarvis — you  are  brave,  so  brave ! 
I  never  can  tell  you  how  you  have  sustained  me, 
in  my  fears  and  grief.  I  can  never  let  you  realize 
how  gallant  I  believe  you  to  be  for  what  you  are 
doing  to-night  for  my  sake." 

Jarvis  shook  his  head  in  deprecation. 

"  Are  we  not  merely  honest  traders,  your 
Highness  ?  We  made  a  compact,  risking  your  life 


MYSTERIOUS  INFLUENCES       241 

at  the  start  to  save  mine.  Now,  is  the  comple- 
tion— when  I  find  your  brother  and  solve  the 
mystery  of  the  fortune,  I  will  know  that  our  ac- 
count is  squared.  Then,  I  may  be — human!  " 

Her  eyes  dropped  before  his  own  ardent  an- 
swer, and  she  turned  to  the  stairs. 

"  I  must  go  get  the  memorandum  and  the 
locket." 

"  Yes,  of  course  ?  Where  is  it  ?  You  should 
have  guarded  that  well." 

"  It  is  safe  in  my  room,  Mr.  Jarvis, — I  won't 
be  long,"  and  up  the  steps  she  fled  as  though  try- 
ing to  escape  from  her  own  heart,  in  some  strange, 
new,  yet  not  unpleasant  panic. 

"  Rusty!  Oh,  Rusty!"  called  Warren. 
"  Bring  down  my  hat  and  coat,  and  the  extra 
tinware." 

The  voice  of  the  negro  answered,  choked  and 
muffled  in  a  mystifying  way. 

"  Yassir !     Yassir !  " 

"  What  are  you  doing  up  there?  Hurry;  we're 
starting." 

"Yassir!" 


242  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Jarvis  turned  and  walked  toward  the  window, 
looking  up  at  the  dismal  silhouette  of  the  an- 
cient castle.  The  moon  had  risen,  on  the  edge  of 
the  horizon,  and  already  the  place  was  beginning 
to  look  ghostlike  with  the  pale  iridescence. 

"  I  wouldn't  change  places,"  he  soliloquized 
between  efforts  to  light  a  fresh  cigarette,  "  with 
that  darned  old  spook  .  .  .  that  she  thinks  is  in 
that  castle  ...  for  all  the  gold  that  she  thinks 
is  in  that  cussed  old  castle  .  .  .  and  all  the  rest 
of  the  motheaten  castles  in  Spain !  " 

Rusty  came  down  the  stairs,  his  jaws  work- 
ing, and  his  cheeks  puffing  vigorously. 

Jarvis  spun  around  nervously  at  the  sound.  He 
was  keyed  up  this  evening,  despite  the  humorous 
resolution  which  had  straightened  the  lines  of 
that  amiable  mouth. 

"What  have  you  been  doing,  Rusty?  What's 
in  your  mouth?"  he  demanded  impatiently. 

"  Yassir  ...  I  mean,  no,  sir !  I  was  jest 
slippin'  a  little  snack  dat  young  lady  bring  up  to 
me.  I  was  so  hungry  I  could  jest  feel  my  stom- 
mick  slippin'  through  my  suspenders  an'  climbin' 


MYSTERIOUS  INFLUENCES       243 

up  my  backbone  on  de  other  side.  .  .  .  Um,  yum 
— an'  some  Spanish  po'k-chop,  at  dat !  " 

He  rolled  his  eyes  in  ecstasy  and  licked  his 
lips. 

"  But  it  warn't  near  enough !  " 

Just  then  Jarvis  heard  a  scream,  from  the  ele- 
vation of  the  balcony.  The  Princess  was  calling, 
frantically. 

"  Mr.  .  .  .  Warren  .  .  .  Mr.  Warren  Jarvis !  " 

He  darted  toward  the  steps,  and  met  her  half- 
way up  them,  as  she  ran  down,  her  face  ghastly 
with  fear. 

"What  is  it?    Tell  me?" 

"Oh  ...  Mr.  Warren  .  .  ." 

"Yes,  yes!" 

"  The  locket  .  .  ." 

"  The  locket  is  gone  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  and  this  was  very  weak. 

"And  the  memorandum?" 

"  Gone,  too !  "  she  gasped. 

Jarvis  called  to  Rusty,  interrupting  the  finish 
of  the  running  meal. 

"  Quick,  Rusty — the  horses ! " 


244  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  The  bosses,  boss?  whar  is  dey?  " 

"Outside!  Go  get  the  girths  tight.  Have 
you  got  that  extra  supply  of  cannon  ?  " 

"  Yassir !  I'll  go.  I  got  enough  to  fight  de 
Spanish  War  over  agin.  An'  dis  time  I'm  goin' 
up  San  Juan  Hill  myself." 

"  Shut  up,  and  get  out — do  what  I  tell  you." 

He  turned  to  her  nervously,  but  the  battle- 
light  was  in  the  blue  eyes  this  time. 

"  Your  Highness,"  and  she  stopped  on  the  step 
above,  "  I've  struck  the  first  trail  of  the  spook 
that  is  haunting  your  castle;  he  made  a  mistake 
by  poaching  on  other  preserves !  " 

The  girl  ran  her  hand  through  her  hair,  ex- 
citedly, bewildered. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Have  you  any  idea  of  who  could  take  it?  " 

"  Why — no !  I  hid  it  in  the  corner  of  my  grip, 
and  was  sure  no  one  could  find  it." 

Jarvis  laughed  grimly. 

"  Your  castle  ghost  is  no  slouch  at  finding 
things.  He  is  no  ignoramus,  either,  for  he  must 
be  able  to  read  and  write  and  understand  geog- 


MYSTERIOUS  INFLUENCES       245 

raphy  to  get  any  good  out  of  that  memorandum. 
Does  it  give  the  exact  details  of  the  treasure 
trove  ?  " 

"  As  plain  as  ABC !  "  she  answered. 

"  You  think  .  .  .  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I've  been  thinking  ever  since  you  first 
told  me  the  story.  Now  I'm  going  to  load  my 
revolver  with  those  thoughts,  and  earn  the  title  of 
my  profession.  Time  is  everything.  I  take  the 
northern  road,  don't  I  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  the  second  turn  to  the  right,  through 
a  broken  wall." 

"  Yes,  you've  told  me  all  this  a  dozen  times 
before.  But  it's  life  and  death,  and  I  want  to 
make  sure.  What  then  ?  " 

"  That  road  leads  to  the  postern  gate  at  the 
top  of  the  hill,"  she  added. 

The  outer  door  had  opened  softly. 

Its  position,  sheltered  under  the  long  sweep  of 
the  old  balcony,  was  out  of  their  immediate 
view. 

They  had  been  speaking  in  rapid  English,  but 
the  man  who  slouched  noiselessly  through  the 


246  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

entrance,  toward  the  arch  under  the  stairs,  sur- 
mised the  gist  of  the  conversation. 

He  drew  a  revolver,  well  hidden  in  the  shadow, 
and  waited. 

"  I  understand.    I  have  my  bearings,  too." 

Warren  stepped  down,  to  the  level  of  the 
floor. 

"Wait,"  said  Maria  Theresa  softly.  "This 
little  cross — it  is  a  token  which  I  wish  my  knight 
to  wear  in  the  tourney — to-night !  " 

She  slipped  the  golden  chain,  and  the  simple 
religious  emblem,  over  his  head  and  about  his 
neck,  with  a  movement  which  was  a  wireless 
touchless  caress. 

"Only  for  to-night?"  asked  the  Kentuckian, 
as  he  looked  squarely  into  the  crimson  face  above 
him; — how  the  roses  and  lilies  played  hide-and- 
seek  beneath  the  soft  skin  of  those  clear  fea- 
tures ! 

"  You  may  never  see  to-morrow,"  she  mur- 
mured, and  she  drew  up  the  cross,  from  its 
pendent  position,  pressing  it  to  her  red  lips  with 
reverence. 


MYSTERIOUS  INFLUENCES       247 

The  American  spirit  cried  out  within  for  hon- 
est self-expression. 

"  Then,  if  I  never  see  to-morrow,  forgive  me 
for  telling  you  to-night  that  I  love  you." 

She  would  have  spoken,  but  he  raised  his  hand 
for  silence. 

Beneath  the  archway  the  shadowed  figure  drew 
nearer,  slipping  into  the  sharp  angle  behind  the 
stairs. 

"  Do  not  rebuke  me  to-night — wait  until  to- 
morrow— if  to-morrow  ever  comes !  " 

He  paused,  and  still  she  was  silent — except 
for  the  soft  music  of  her  breathing — that  regal 
bosom  so  close  to  his  own  upturned  face ! 

"  And  now  your  humble  vassal  goes  forth  in 
his  liege-lady's  name  and  cause,  and,  while  all 
Seguro  waits,  Ghost  and  Ghost  Breaker  shall 
stalk  those  haunted,  melancholy  halls !  " 

Again  they  looked  into  each  other's  eyes. 

"  Your  Highness,  within  the  hour  I  shall  hang 
the  signal  of  victory  within  the  window  of  the 
castle! " 

He  carried  her  hand  to  his  lips,  even  as  he  had 


248  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

done  on  the  memorable  night  so  far  across  the 
waters.  But  this  time  the  fingers  were  burning, 
and  the  slim  flower  of  a  hand  was  not  drawn 
away! 

"  God  be  with  you !  "  she  answered  softly,  and 
crossed  herself.  The  Kentuckian  watched  her 
silently,  a  thousand  mad  thoughts  whirling  be- 
hind the  calm  and  resolute  brow.  She  slowly 
ascended  the  stairs  and  returned  to  her  room. 

He  murmured  tenderly  under  his  breath : 

"  Highness  .  .  .  Highness  .  .  .  now,  I  under- 
stand how  titles  fit !  " 

A  new  noise  came  to  his  ears,  and  he  listened 
without  a  tremor  or  movement  of  his  body. 

It  was  the  click  of  a  revolver  cock ! 

The  Kentuckian  knew  this  sound  too  well  to  be 
deceived.  Slowly  he  turned  about,  toward  the 
large  table  on  which  stood  the  solitary  oil  lamp 
of  the  room. 

He  began  to  unfold  his  overcoat,  which  had 
been  hanging  over  his  left  arm.  Then  he  started 
whistling  the  first  rippling  bars  of  that  good  old 
Southern  battle-song  "  Dixie." 


MYSTERIOUS  INFLUENCES       249 

Slowly  he  walked  toward  the  lamp,  apparently 
examining  his  overcoat. 

The  man  drew  out  from  the  shelter  of  the 
arch,  and  the  revolver  was  pointed  straight  at  his 
back. 

Suddenly  the  overcoat  flew  from  the  Ameri- 
can's hands,  covering  and  extinguishing  the  glass 
lamp,  which  fell  with  a  crash  in  the  darkness. 

There  was  a  portentous  pause — it  seemed 
hours;  its  length  was  the  bare  fraction  of  a 
second. 

Two  shots  rang  out,  and  scurrying  feet  were 
the  only  indication  of  life  within  the  room. 
Another  shot  sent  its  tongue  of  blood-thirsty 
flame  into  the  black  void.  There  was  a  groan 
of  anguish. 

Then  footsteps  advanced  to  the  door. 

The  cheery  tune  of  "  Dixie  "  was  continued  in 
the  moonlight ! 


XVI 
AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD 

«"TJUSTY!    You   lazy   coon!    Get   on   that 

J^k  horse  of  yours  and  hike  along  to  the 
castle.  See — the  moon  is  helping  us !  " 

"  Yassir.  I  was  jest  finishin'  another  hunk  of 
po'k-chops  dat  I  forgot  an'  put  in  my  pocket. 
Won't  you  have  a  bite?" 

"  No.  I  want  to  eat  up  something  worse  than 
pork  to-night,"  and  Jarvis  swung  into  the  sad- 
dle with  the  lithe  skill  acquired  from  childhood 
days  on  the  backs  of  Blue-Grass  thoroughbreds. 

"What  was  dat  gun-play,  Marse  Warren?" 
asked  Rusty,  after  he  had  calculated  that  they 
had  ridden  a  respectful  distance  for  inquiries. 
Rusty  had  a  certain  inherited  pride! 

Jarvis  laughed,  and  the  dull  glow  of  his  cigar- 
ette tip  was  discernible. 

"  Oh,  Rusty,  why  worry  over  history?  Leave 
250 


AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD  251 

that  sort  of  thing  to  these  '  spigotties  ' — that's  all 
they  have  to  think  about  over  here.  It  was  just 
a  question  of  being  '  pinked  '  or  '  pinking  '  a  cer- 
tain gentleman  who  was  working  beyond  union 
hours." 

"  Huh !  "  snorted  Rusty.  "  I'll  bet  de  razor 
I  has  in  my  jeans  dat  he  was  moh  red  dan  pink 
when  you-all  got  finished  wid  dat  cannon  o' 
yourn,  Marse  Warren.  It  runs  in  de  fambly  ter 
shoot  straight !  " 

"  Well,  Rusty,  let's  ride  straight  for  a  while. 
We  must  go  up  this  road  to  the  turn." 

They  passed  dark  cottages,  and  finally  reached 
the  fateful  angle  of  the  road.  Rusty  groaned 
apprehensively. 

"  Say,  Marse  Warren,  I  wouldn't  mind  dis  all 
in  de  meanest  moonshine  district  in  Kaintuck, 
but  I  don't  like  for  to  ride  in  dis  yere  foreign 
district.  W'y  didn't  you-all  pick  out  some  place 
w'ere  dey  speaks  human  talk,  instead  of  dis  on- 
Christian  lingo  ?  It  don't  seem  releegious  to  me, 
Marse  Warren." 

"  Rusty,  I'm  beginning  to  think  you've  got  a 


252  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

yellow  streak  in  you,  with  all  this  talk  about  ob- 
jections. You  used  to  have  a  name  for  not  even 
being  afraid  of  your  weight  in  wildcats,"  said 
Warren. 

Rusty  nodded,  as  he  clung  tightly  to  the  sad- 
dle, on  the  increasingly  rough  trail. 

"  Marse  Warren,  dat  was  right.  But  wildcats 
is  purty  heavy,  an'  you-all  can  hit  'em  with  a 
shotgun.  De  trouble  wid  ghosts  is  dat  dey  don't 
weigh  nuffin !  " 

"  Lookout,  Rusty.  Here's  a  brook,"  and  sud- 
denly Jarvis'  horse  stumbled  to  its  feet,  after 
sliding  down  a  sharp  declivity  which  had  been 
hidden  by  the  shadows  of  the  big  moonlit  trees. 
Rusty  was  not  so  fortunate, — he  was  rolled  off 
despite  his  efforts,  to  receive  a  ducking. 

Then  did  his  teeth  have  reason  to  chatter,  as 
he  mounted  again  to  follow  his  master  up  the 
declivity  with  dripping  clothes. 

"  Whaffor  dey  want  a  crick  like  dat  just  be- 
low de  doors  of  a  castle,  Marse  Warren  ?  "  he 
complained. 

"  That's  how  they  got  their  water  supply — I 


AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD  253 

wouldn't  be  surprised  if  the  old  place  weren't 
built  right  on  top  of  that  spring.  You  know 
when  this  place  was  built  they  didn't  have  any 
faucets  or  taps  in  these  old  places. — Except  on 
the  heads!" 

They  mounted  higher,  ever  higher,  swinging  on 
their  saddlebows  the  unlighted,  antique  lanterns. 
Rusty  was  unmistakably/  becoming  more  and 
more  nervous. 

The  road  took  a  sharp  turn  to  the  right  now, 
and  the  clattered  over  the  wooden  bridge  of  the 
moat. 

They  faced  the  great  doorway  of  the  old  castle 
now.  In  the  moonlight  it  was  an  eerie  sight  in- 
deed. The  castle  stood  on  a  broad  rocky  shelf. 
A  cold  wind  swept  over  the  mountain  top,  rattling 
the  naked  branches  near  by  the  dismal  walls. 

"Ooooh!" 

"  What's  that  ?  "  grunted  Rusty  in  terror. 

"  Just  the  wind  trying  to  get  out  through  those 
barred  windows  up  there,  you  fool." 

"  Laws-a-massy,  I  don't  blame  it  fer  gittin' 
out.  I  wish  I  wasn't  goin'  in." 


254  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

A  lone  cloud  took  this  occasion  to  cover  the 
moon,  and  the  shadow  darkened  the  outlines  of 
the  sinister  structure.  The  castle,  so  Warren 
had  judged  on  his  trip  up  the  hill,  must  have 
been  built  in  the  period  of  the  Spanish  Moors. 
Later,  perhaps  when  the  Moors  had  been  driven 
out  of  the  country,  two  dismal  wings,  several 
towers  and  turrets  had  been  added,  reminding 
one  of  the  castles  on  the  Rhine  cliffs. 

The  face  of  the  structure,  which  Jarvis  scanned 
quickly,  was  about  two  hundred  feet  long  and 
maybe  sixty  feet  high — with  two  stanch  square 
towers  at  either  end. 

Thin  slits  in  the  walls  and  two  round  windows 
high  up  appeared  to  the  mind  of  the  Kentuckian 
(humorous  in  the  face  of  the  unknown  danger) 
as  "  architectural  bungholes."  On  either  side  of 
the  great  arched  door  jutted  a  turret,  slit  with 
many  smaller  openings  and  possessing  castellated 
tops. 

As  they  rumbled  over  the  planking  of  the  open 
drawbridge  Rusty's  chattering  teeth  were  audible 
.to  the  rider  close  at  his  side,  and  Jarvis  muttered 


AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD  255 

angrily,  drawing  up  his  horse  by  the  gate  which 
led  to  the  inner  courtyard. 

"If  you're  still  too  much  of  a  coward  to  go 
on,  you  can  ride  back,  Rusty.  This  is  the  first 
time  you've  ever  failed  me  in  a  time  of  danger." 

The  negro  remonstrated  nervously. 

"  I'm  not  skeered — Marse  Warren,  I'm  jes'  git- 
tin'  straight  hair  fer  de  fust  time  in  my  life. 
I'm  goin'  wid  you.  I'ze  jes'  mighty  onhappy." 

A  doorway  somewhere  swung  shut  with  an 
iron  clang.  Rusty  nerves  were  stronger  now. 
He  breathed  hard  but  said  nothing. 

"  They  used  to  hitch  their  horses  here,  I  sup- 
pose," said  Jarvis,  as  he  slid  from  the  saddle.  The 
moonlight  gave  them  a  better  illumination  by  this 
time.  He  hitched  his  horse,  and  Rusty  followed 
his  example  with  trembling  fingers. 

"  Now,  light  the  lamps.  My,  but  those  lamps 
would  sell  for  a  fortune  in  a  Fourth  Avenue  an- 
tique shop !  " 

Rusty  obeyed  silently. 

Then  followed  the  most  horrible  experience 
of  Rusty 's  life,  in  what  seemed  an  endless  ex- 


256  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

ploration.  They  trod  along  weirdly  echoing  cor- 
ridors, through  spacious  chambers,  where  ancient 
tapestries  hung  from  the  walls,  while  strange 
debris  lay  about  amidst  the  curious  carved  furni- 
ture. Everything  was  covered  by  a  pall  of  dust. 
Squealing  and  scurrying,  the  shining  eyes  and 
ghastly  noises  betrayed  the  presence  of  myriad 
rats. 

"What  can  they  find  to  live  on?"  wondered 
Warren. 

From  the  high  battlements  they  peered  into 
the  valley,  and  could  see  a  few  faint  lights  in  the 
distant  inn.  Warren  felt  sure  that  one  of  those 
lights  was  in  the  room  of  her  Highness. 

They  explored  the  bedchambers  of  the  lords 
and  ladies  of  the  castle,  the  little  pigeonholes  in 
which  the  men-at-arms  must  have  slept.  Strange 
subtle  odors  met  them  like  an  actual  presence  as 
they  peered  into  dungeons,  stone  chambers,  and 
horrid  vaults. 

"  I  don't  even  see  why  a  ghost  would  want  ter 
hang  around  dis  misserable  place,  Marse  War- 
ren," ventured  Rusty,  as  for  the  second  time  they 


AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD  257 

entered  the  largest  room  of  all,  within  the  cen- 
tral keep. 

"We've  been  here  before,  Rusty,"  replied 
Warren,  sitting  down  for  a  moment  on  an  old 
bench.  Rusty  looked  around  with  rolling  eyes. 

Suddenly  Jarvis  jumped  up  and  sniffed. 

"  Yes,  and  someone  else  has  been  here  before. 
Do  you  smell  that,  Rusty?" 

"  Marse  Warren,  I'm  so  skeered  dat  I  can't 
smell  nuthin', — I  can'  see  nuthin',  hear  nuthin'— 
except  dem  moans  and  yowls  in  all  dose  power- 
ful big  rooms  we  was  in." 

"  The  room's  full  of  smoke  and  the  smell  of 
oil."  Jarvis  walked  about,  to  make  certain. 
"  Somebody's  been  carrying  a  smoky  lantern. 
We're  getting  warmer  with  that  ghost." 

A  dull  thud  came  to  their  ears,  from  far  within 
the  building.  Rusty  jumped  like  a  frightened 
fawn. 

"  Good  godelmity !    What's  dat  ?  " 

Jarvis  quietly  walked  across  the  room,  to  peer 
into  the  big  stone  fireplace. 

"  Oh,  Marse  Warren,  I  want  to  go  home !  " 


258  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Rusty  had  turned  about,  and  his  eyes  took  in 
two  figures  of  ancient  armor  at  the  top  of  the 
broad  half-flight  of  stairs,  on  a  balcony  dais.  He 
sank  upon  his  knees  and  bobbed  his  head  to  the 
floor  in  obeisance. 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  and  Jarvis  whirled 
about,  with  revolver  drawn.  His  own  nerves 
were  beginning  to  get  too  taut,  with  the  tension 
exaggerated  by  the  superstition  and  fright  of  the 
negro. 

"  Look !  Look !  Look  at  dem  big  black  boogies 
standin'  dere,  Marse  Warren.  See  'em  standin' 
dere?" 

Jarvis  laughed  and  put  his  gun  into  his  side 
pocket. 

"  They're  the  same  black  things  that  scared 
you  before,  don't  you  remember?" 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  skeered,  boss,  dat  I  can't  remem- 
ber nuthin'  at  all." 

"  Get  up  on  your  pins — they're  nothing  but  old 
suits  of  armor,  and  you're  liable  to  get  some 
moonlight  through  you,  Rusty,  if  there's  another 
rear-end  collision  like  that.  You've  been  tread- 


AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD  259 

ing  on  my  heels  every  step  I  take,  and  when  I 
stop  you  bump  into  me." 

"  But  Marse  Warren,"  pleaded  the  frightened 
darky,  "  I'm  powerful  'fraid  I  might  lose  you! " 

"  A  fine  chance,"  snorted  Jarvis,  looking  about. 
"  Well,  Rusty,  we've  been  through  this  old  place 
pretty  thoroughly,  and  not  a  sign  of  a  soul — 
unless  they  pound  or  carry  a  smoky  lantern.  It's 
a  clew,  Rusty,  it's  a  clew.  We'll  stick  right  here 
until  we  find  out.  This  is  the  best  room  of  the 
castle,  and  the  ghost  may  prefer  it." 

Jarvis  crossed  to  the  fireplace  again,  and  strik- 
ing a  match,  held  it  into  the  opening.  Its  flicker 
indicated  a  good  draught. 

"  There,  Rusty,"  he  said.  "  It's  a  good  chance 
for  a  fire.  The  chimney's  clear.  Now  break  up 
that  lopsided,  rickety  table  there  and  make  a  fire. 
You  won't  feel  half  so  scared  with  a  good  blaze 
behind  you." 

He  turned  toward  the  half-flight  of  stairs,  with 
a  studious  expression  as  he  mentally  measured  the 
heights  and  thickness  of  the  walls  and  ceiling. 

"  I'll  scout  around  a  bit,  Rusty." 


260  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  Don't  you  do  scoutin'  outsiden  dis  room." 

Rusty  crossed  to  the  fireplace,  with  the  pieces 
of  easily-smashed  table  legs,  and  began  to  light 
the  fire. 

"  This  was  probably  the  banquet  hall,  Rusty." 

"  Yes,  and  say,  Marse  Warren,  when  we-all 
goin'  ter  eat  ?  " 

"  When  we  get  through  with  this  job."  He 
turned  thoughtfully  toward  the  big  windows  on 
the  south  of  the  room,  and  mused  aloud :  "  That's 
the  way  through  the  two  long  rooms  to  the  post- 
ern gate.  Umm." 

"  That's  where  that  black  thing  followed  me." 

"  Yes,  and  a  black  thing  followed  me,  walking 
on  my  heels  every  step  I  took.  I  couldn't  see 
where  I  was  stepping." 

"  That  goes  to  the  armory." 

"  I  seen  eyes  in  dere  and  a  cold  grimy,  green 
smell  in  dere.  Ain't  dat  where  dat  broad-faced 
bird  flew  at  me,  an'  I  slipped  down  de  stairs?  " 

"  Don't  you  know  an  owl,  Rusty  ?  That's  all 
it  was." 

Jarvis  was  walking  across  the  room  to  another 


AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD  261 

door.  Rusty  was  close  behind  him,  following  by 
habit  now. 

"  I  wonder  if  that  door  is  .  .  ." 

He  did  not  finish  the  sentence !  His  foot  had 
touched  a  swiveled  rock,  so  delicately  balanced 
that  he  had  noiselessly  fallen  half  through  the 
large  opening  in  the  rock  floor  when  Rusty 
caught  him  by  the  collar  and  under  the  arm. 

"  Here,  I'm  holding  on  now  better,  Rusty. 
Give  me  your  hand."  They  both  tugged,  and  he 
was  soon  safe,  peering  into  the  black  opening  to- 
gether. 

"  That  was  a  close  call.  Give  me  that  lantern, 
Rusty ! " 

He  dropped  an  old  pewter  cup,  left  on  a  side 
table,  down  the  opening.  There  was  a  delayed, 
faint  splash. 

"  Lord ! — water  and  a  long  drop.  No  wonder 
people  disappear  in  this  castle.  Great  Scott! 
What  if  her  brother  fell  in  there  ?  Rusty,  what- 
ever happens,  keep  clear  of  this.  Get  me  a  burned 
stick,  and  I'll  mark  a  cross  on  it,  so  we  can  tell — 
it  makes  me  nervous  to  see  that  open  mouth  of 


262  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

death  gaping  for  us.  If  you  step  on  this  you'll 
never  see  Kentucky  again,  for  sure." 

Rusty  obeyed. 

"Did  you  hear  that  groan,  Marse  Warren?" 

"  Groan — that's  the  wind !  .  .  .  There  it  is 
again — it  does  sound  like  a  moan." 

"  Ough !  "  and  Rusty 's  teeth  chattered  in  per- 
fect rhythm  with  his  shaking  knees.  "  Ough !  " 

"  Shut  up !  Listen  ...  I  guess  it's  the  wind, 
at  that.  But  this  place  is  getting  on  our  nerves 
all  right." 

Rusty  controlled  his  teeth  enough  to  talk  now. 

"  Marse  Warren,  dat  warn't  no  wind.  Ah 
hope  to  die  if  dat  warn't  a  shore  'nuff  human 
groan."  He  turned  and  looked  toward  the  big 
oil  portrait  of  an  ancient  Spanish  hidalgo  over  the 
fireplace.  "  An'  I  wants  to  tell  you  somepin  else. 
Has  you  ever  been  in  church  or  somew'ere  an' 
all  of  a  suddent  a  feelin'  comes  over  you  dat 
dere's  someone's  eyes  a-starin'  at  de  back  of  your 
haid  .  .  .  you  jest  knowed  it — until  you  couldn't 
stand  it  no  longer,  an'  jest  had  to  turn  'round 
an'  see  who  it  was  ?  " 


AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD  263 

"Yes,  Rusty,  I've  had  that.    Why?" 

"  Dat's  jest  de  way  I  feel  now.  Like  dem  eyes 
in  dat  picture  was  a-lookin  right  through  me.  Like 
he'd  like  to  step  right  outen  de  frame.  Or  dem 
two  boogie  battleship  men  would  like  to  jump 
right  down  on  me,"  and  he  pointed  toward  the 
two  suits  of  armor  on  the  landing  above. 

"  It's  been  a  good  many  hundred  years  since 
those  boys  jumped.  But  listen — there's  some- 
one running  as  sure  as  you're  alive,  Rusty." 

It  was  unmistakable.  The  steps  came  nearer 
and  nearer,  and  then  came  a  repetition  of  that  dull 
thud  in  a  distant  room. 

"  I  want  to  go  home,"  moaned  Rusty. 

Jarvis  had  drawn  his  revolver  again,  and  he 
was  standing  close  to  the  stairs. 

"Great  Scott,  Rusty!  The  man  with  the 
smoky  lantern  has  been  up  these  stairs.  There 
are  oil  drippings,  still  fresh." 

"  You-all  ain't  going  up,  is  you?"  pleaded 
Rusty. 

"  Not  at  all.  Because  this  Mr.  Ghost  or  some 
of  his  spooky  friends  are  probably  waiting  at  the 


264  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

top  of  the  stairs  with  a  long  gun,  and  I'm  no  book 
hero." 

"  Suppose  it  might  be  dat  dere  Mrs.  Prin- 
cess'es  brother?" 

"  Well,  he  might  blow  my  head  off  because  he 
doesn't  know  what  I  came  here  for,  and  if  it's 
someone  else  they'd  blow  it  off  because  they  do 
know  why  I'm  here.  There's  somebody  trying 
to  scare  us,  Rusty.  They're  probably  watching 
every  move  we  make.  .  .  .  That's  where  that 
pounding  comes  from — why  don't  they  shoot  ?  . .  . 
They're  trying  to  scare  us  as  they  did  the  poor 
boobs  down  in  the  village." 

Rusty  crossed  toward  the  fireplace.  He  picked 
up  an  old  mallet  and  chisel  from  the  mantel, 
which  was  brighter  now  from  the  fire.  He  cried 
out  in  surprise : 

"  Look  yere,  Marse  Warren.    Look  yere !  " 

He  handed  the  tools  over  to  the  astounded 
Jarvis.  "  I  found  'em  on  dat  mantelpiece !  " 

Jarvis  ran  to  the  mantelpiece  and  clambered 
up  on  a  chair,  holding  the  lantern  close  to  the 
wall. 


AS  IN  DAYS  OF  OLD  265 

"  Good  boy,  Rusty !  These  are  the  Ghost's 
tools,  all  right.  Someone  was  working  in  this 
room — but  we've  beaten  him  to  it.  ...  Mortar 
on  the  floor  .  .  .  mortar  on  the  mantle!  .  .  . 
Look  here  at  these  stones.  That's  where  he  was 
working,  Rusty,  and  we've  beaten  him  to  it." 

He  stopped,  and  both  of  them  turned  simultane- 
ously to  look  at  the  big  picture  of  the  historical 
Spaniard.  Rusty  had  drawn  his  own  revolver, 
with  Jarvis  doing  the  same  by  a  curious  instinct. 

"  Did  you  feel  dat,  too,  Marse  Warren  ?  " 
asked  the  frightened  negro. 

Jarvis  said  nothing.  He  went  to  the  picture 
and,  lighting  a  match,  passed  it  all  around  the 
frame,  examining  it,  without  the  discovery  of  a 
suspicious  thing.  He  turned  away,  then  faced 
it  once  more  as  he  backed  toward  the  low  balus- 
trade of  the  steps  over  which  stood  one  of  the 
suits  of  armor. 

"  By  George,  that's  weird.  You  could  feel 
that  just  as  plain  .  .  ." 

Rusty  was  still  looking  with  fascination  at  the 
picture. 


266  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"  It  sure  is,  Marse  Warren,  it  sure  is  .  .  ." 
He  turned  slowly,  facing  Warren  Jarvis.  He  had 
just  time  for  one  piercing  howl — a  veritable  high- 
pitched  scream : 

"  My  Gawd,  look  out! " 


XVII 
CONCLUSION 

KJSTY  had  dived  under  the  table. 
The  great  sword  of  the  armored  figure 
was  swinging  swiftly  up  in  air,  and  Jarvis 
leaped  with  all  the  sinewy  strength  of  his  young 
manhood. 

It  was  none  too  soon. 

The  great  Damascus  blade  struck  fire  from  the 
stone  balustrade  where  he  sat  a  second  before. 

Jarvis  spun  about,  and  his  automatic  barked. 
With  the  instinct  of  the  born  fighting  man  he 
fired  for  the  heart:  this  was  his  error. 

The  bullets  spattered  off  the  angle-braced 
breastplate. 

Down  the  steps  came  the  horrid  figure,  raising 
the  great  sword  again.  The  leaden  shower  did 
not  halt  the  clanging  monster,  as  the  iron-clad 
advanced. 

267 


'268  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

He  remembered  now  that  Rusty  had  two  more 
revolvers — but  Rusty  was  scuttling  on  hands  and 
knees  for  the  shelter  of  the  turret  entrance  across 
the  room. 

In  desperation  Jarvis  threw  his  revolver  at  the 
head  of  the  assailant !  It  was  a  futile  pebble  toss. 

The  weapon  clattered  against  the  metal  vizor 
and  bounced  off,  as  the  weird  assailant  ran  within 
striking  distance.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life 
came  the  sensation  of  helplessness  in  a  fight. 
There  was  a  numbing  feeling  of  horror  as  he  re- 
coiled before  this  thing. 

His  back  touched  the  stone  wall,  just  as  the 
quick  figure  made  a  forward  step  and  struck 
again.  The  sword  rang  out  against  the  rock,  but 
the  hand  that  held  that  weapon  knew  how  to 
wield  it  with  determination. 

Jarvis  had  dropped  to  his  knees,  and  imitated 
Rusty's  escape,  until  he  was  out  of  reach.  He 
might  have  grappled — but  the  thought  came  too 
late.  He  saw  the  ancient  weapons  on  the  wall — • 
there  was  a  great  poleax. 

This  was  the  instrument  made  for  the  man-at- 


CONCLUSION  269 

arms  to  withstand  the  noble  knight  in  the  days  of 
old.  He  whirled  it  on  high  as  the  other  came 
toward  him.  The  double-edged  sword  rose  high 
to  parry  the  stroke,  and  the  sharp  weapon  clove 
through  the  rotten  wood  helve:  Time  had  dis- 
armed the  American  again. 

A  deep-chested  laugh  came  from  the  human 
"  battleship." 

Warren  laughed  back — in  the  face  of  death: 
the  old  Jarvis  fighting  laugh  was  a  tradition  in 
Kentucky. 

His  next  weapon  was  a  chair,  with  this  as  a 
guard  he  managed  to  swing  the  sword  with  a 
clever  parry.  He  gave  the  metal  breastplate  a 
vigorous  high  kick.  From  the  helmet  there  came 
a  muffled  "  Oooof !  "  Here  was  one  "  point  "  for 
the  modern ! 

Thus  they  dodged  and  feinted,  striking,  whirl- 
ing, while  the  Kentuckian  planned  his  campaign. 

Little  by  little  he  drew  his  implacable  opponent 
toward  the  charcoal  cross-mark  on  the  floor.  The 
great  sword  rose  high — he  feigned  weakness  and 
dropped  his  chair.  Then,  as  the  toreador  dodges 


270  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

the  mad  onslaught  of  the  maddened  bull,  he 
leaped  aside  and  the  sword  struck  the  ground. 

Before  it  could  be  raised,  he  swung  from  his 
side  position,  with  the  heavy  antique  chair,  against 
the  vizor.  The  equilibrium  of  the  armored  man 
was  none  too  stable,  as  he  missed  his  stroke — and 
his  head  went  back.  Again  the  Kentuckian 
charged,  this  time  with  a  barehanded  clinch,  the 
chair  dropped. 

Around  the  metal  waist  his  arms  went  and  he 
forced  the  other  back  but  half  a  foot. 

It  was  enough ! 

"  Santa  Madre! "  came  from  the  helmet,  as  the 
figure  stumbled  through  the  opening  trap-stone. 

There  was  a  scream,  which  suddenly  ended  at 
highest  pitch — a  splash  .  .  .  then  silence. 

Jarvis  staggered  back,  with  dilated  eyes  upon 
the  fatal  hole — he  wiped  the  cold  beads  off  his 
clammy  brow,  and  staggered  toward  the  table  for 
support. 

Rusty's  head  came  out  from  the  shelter  of  the 
stone  coping — and  he  smiled  an  ashen  imitation 
of  amusement. 


CONCLUSION  271 

"  Whar's  yoh  friend,  Marse  Warren?" 

Jarvis'  head  was  low  upon  his  breast,  as  he 
answered  quietly:  ''Water — and  a  long  drop! 
There's  a  real  ghost  due  to  haunt  castle  now, 
Rusty." 

"  I  knowed  them  battleship  boogies  was 
spooks ! " 

Warren  picked  up  the  great  sword  which  had 
fallen  by  the  trap  as  the  man  went  through.  He 
walked  up  the  stairs, 

"  Oh,  Marse  Warren,  don't !  " 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  and  he  snarled  it.  "  Do 
I  scare  you  ?  " 

"  You  can't  scare  me — I'm  scared  already!  " 

Jarvis  made  a  fencing  feint  at  the  other  figure. 
There  was  no  response;  again  he  tried.  Then 
he  rushed  it,  and  knocked  the  armor  over. 

"  I  guess  he's  genuine — and  harmless." 

"  Oh,  Marse  Warren,  you'se  got  gall,  shore. 
I'll  jest  finish  dis  battleship — so  he  won't  jump 
no  moh."  He  had  grabbed  the  armor  and  started 
toward  the  trapdoor.  "  I'm  goin'  to  sink  him 
in  de  harbor! " 


272  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

"Don't  do  that — it  takes  a  thief  to  catch  a 
thief.  I'll  make  a  ghost  out  of  you,  Rusty.  Come 
here." 

Objecting,  timorous,  and  still  overcome  with 
his  native  superstition,  Rusty  was  nevertheless 
forced  to  don  the  armor — a  sad  misfit  he  was,  at 
that. 

"  Somebody  was  working  in  this  room,  Rusty. 
It's  a  cinch  that  the  treasure  was  here.  It's  a 
cinch  that  we  interrupted,  and  it's  still  in  its  little 
safe-deposit  vault.  It's  a  greater  cinch  that  if  we 
go  out  he'll  come  back.  I  want  to  have  you  stand 
up  there  where  the  other  battleship  was,  and 
watch.  You'll  be  as  safe  as  a  church  in  this.  No 
one  would  think  of  looking  for  one  of  us  in  this 
armor — so  when  he  starts  to  work,  whoever  he 
is,  you  just  yell  and  yell  your  best." 

"  Gawd,  Marse  Warren,  I  could  yell  loud  'nuff 
for  'em  to  hear  me  back  in  Kaintucky." 

"  You  give  me  your  best  yell,  and  I'll  nail 
him." 

"  Ef  you  don't  nail  him,  he'll  nail  me." 

"Keep  cool — that's  all." 


CONCLUSION  273 

"  I'm  cool  now — I'm  ketchin'  cold."  And  he 
sneezed. 

"  If  you  sneeze  again,  I'm  going  to  use  a  gun 
on  you.  Here,  give  me  one  of  those  two  guns  you 
have.  And  whatever  you  do,  don't  sneeze.  I'm 
catching  cold  myself  here — anyone  would  in  this 
musty  old  hole." 

He  pocketed  the  weapon  and  ordered  Rusty  to 
his  place. 

There  came  another  sound — a  repetition  of  the 
earlier  faint  sound.  He  turned  quickly,  and 
Princess  Maria  Theresa  of  Aragon  rushed  into 
the  room,  followed  by  Dolores. 

"  Thank  God  you  are  safe,  Mr.  Warren !  I 
heard  the  shooting,  down  in  the  other  court  of 
the  castle." 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  Why  didn't  you  wait 
for  my  signal?  The  hour  is  not  over  yet." 

"  We've  been  wandering  through  this  dreadful 
place  an  eternity — trying  to  find  you,  calling 
everywhere,  so  that  we  could  reach  you  before 
it  was  too  late — before  something  happened  that 
had  always  happened  before !  " 


274  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Dolores  had  seated  herself  at  the  side  table, 
and  her  face  was  buried  in  her  hands.  She  was 
sobbing. 

"  Too  late  ?  What  do  you  mean  ?  This  is 
madness  for  you  to  take  this  risk." 

The  girl,  forgetting  royalty  and  convention, 
caught  his  hand  in  both  of  hers,  and  a  light  of  joy 
came  into  her  eyes. 

"  My  brother  is  safe,  thank  God !  He  is  on 
his  way  to  the  King  to  get  soldiers  to  search  the 
castle." 

"  Where  has  he  been?     How  do  you  know?  " 

"  He  was  imprisoned  in  this  castle — since  the 
day  he  entered.  To-night  he  tried  to  signal,  but 
could  not.  Your  bullet  went  straight  home,  Mr. 
Warren,  and  Robledo  is  dying.  He  has  confessed 
all  to  the  holy  father.  I  must  go  back,  for  I 
promised  to  be  with  him  at  the  end." 

"  The  end  ..."  and  Jarvis'  voice  grew 
husky,  he  understood  by  now  the  tears  of  Dolores. 
He  turned  toward  her  gently.  "  I'm  so  sorry — 
you  and  he — I  might  have — oh,  what  a  terrible 
shame!" 


CONCLUSION  275 

The  girl  crossed  herself,  with  the  stoic  calm- 
ness of  her  religion,  as  she  rose  to  face  him. 

"  It  is  better  so.  He  sinned — grievously,  many 
times,  sefior.  My  Prince  is  safe  ...  my  Prin- 
cess is  safe.  And  you  are  safe — you,  the  bravest 
man  in  Seguro." 

Maria  Theresa  turned  toward  the  door,  where 
stood  a  man  whom  Jarvis  had  not  espied  before. 
"  Take  her  back  to  the  inn,  Maximo,  as  quietly  as 
possible.  Then  send  the  chauffeur  for  me  again 
as  soon  as  he  can  come  up  the  rough  road." 

"  But,  your  Highness,  you  must  go  back  as 
well — it  is  dangerous  for  you  to  remain  here.  I 
have  found  the  clews  for  which  you  went  to 
America.  Let  me  finish  the  job." 

"  No,  I  will  stay  with  you." 

He  caught  her  hands,  and  looked  down  into 
the  dark  eyes,  so  wondrously  upturned  to  his. 

"  You  must  come  by  the  fire,  and  get  warm 
.  .  .  Here,  sit  in  this  chair.  You  have  been 
frightened  to  death,  prowling  through  this  horrid 
place.  .  .  .  Your  hands  are  icy.  .  .  .  There, 
there!  Go  on  and  cry — forget  that  you're  a 


276  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

Princess  and  be  a  real  girl.  Cry  all  you  want! 
That's  fine ! " 

He  took  off  his  coat  and  wrapped  it  around  her 
shoulders  as  she  sat  by  the  flaming  remnants  of 
the  old  table. 

He  turned  about  and  beckoned  to  Rusty,  who 
with  a  revolver  in  hand,  his  courage  restored  in 
a  way  by  the  turn  of  events,  disappeared  from 
view.  Jarvis  gently  placed  a  hand  upon  the 
heaving  shoulder. 

"  I'll  round  up  this  spook  to-night  for  good 
and  all.  Then  the  vassal's  task  is  done.  His 
fate  is  in  your  hands,  Highness;  what's  to  become 
of  him?  .  .  .  Don't  send  me  away.  I  loved 
you  from  the  first — not  like  a  vassal  either — and 
will  always  love  you. 

"  I  know  I'm  just  a  plain  American  citizen 
.  .  .  and  a  man.  All  the  man  in  me  cries  out, 
'  I  love  you ! '  Don't  send  me  away." 

"  You  must  go.  You  must  leave  Spain,  for 
your  life  would  never  be  safe  here:  you  know 
what  feuds  are,  and  you  have  started  one." 

Just  then  an  audible,  unmistakable,  common- 


CONCLUSION  277 

place  sneeze  interrupted  this  most  wonderful  of 
all  conversations. 

Jarvis  looked  about.  The  sneeze  was  in  the 
room. 

"  Rusty,  are  you  outside  ?  " 

"  Yassir.  But  don't  keep  me  here  long,  'kase 
I'ze  freezing  to  death." 

"  Did  you  sneeze?  " 

"No,  sir;  but  I  calc'late  I'll  have  to  befoh 
long." 

"  Don't  move,  your  Highness — I've  found  the 
Ghost  at  last !  " 

He  walked  toward  the  suspicious  picture,  and 
pointed  the  revolver  at  it. 

"  There  is  somebody  in  that  picture.  Come 
out  or  I'll  shoot.  Quick  now !  " 

There  was  no  response. 

He  sent  a  bullet,  carefully  aimed  at  the  upper 
lefthand  corner,  where  he  planned  that  it  would 
do  no  harm. 

There  was  a  response. 

"  Don't  shoot !  " 

And  the  canvas  opened  neatly,  to  permit  the 


278  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

elegant  but  dusty  figure  of  Carlos  Hernando, 
Duke  of  Alva,  to  step  to  the  mantelpiece  and 
leap  clumsily  to  the  floor. 

The  Princess  had  sprung  to  her  feet. 

"  Your  Excellency,  you  are  a  long  way  from 
Madrid!" 

The  Duke,  brushing  off  his  sleeves,  snarled 
back :  "  You  fool,  you've  stepped  right  into  the 
trap.  I  knew  you  were  after  the  treasure." 

"  Oh,  no,  your  man-at-arms  did  that,  and  if  you 
try  to  lie  yourself  out  of  this  .  .  .  if  it  weren't 
for  your  cousin,  I'd  blow  your  damned  head  off ! 
Then  I'd  throw  you  down  after  the  other  poor 
devil — you've  got  a  lot  of  souls  to  answer  for. 
See  here,  give  me  that  locket — no,  give  her  that 
locket,  or  by  the  living  God,  I'll  break  your  .  .  . 
Come  on  now !  " 

"  Carlos !  "  and  the  girl  held  out  a  stiff  arm. 
The  Duke  fumbled  in  an  inner  pocket,  and 
dropped  the  memorandum  into  her  hand. 

"  I  told  you  all  ghosts  were  cowards." 

The  Duke  looked  insolently  into  Jarvis'  face, 
yet  there  was  an  undisguised  admiration  for  the 


Don't  shoot!" 


CONCLUSION  279 

stanch  nerves  of  his  opponent.  At 'heart,  de- 
spite his  criminal,  conceited  weaknesses,  the  Duke 
had  thoroughbred  blood  beating  and  pulsing 
through  the  veins. 

"  You  play  a  good  game,  Mr.  Warren.  .  .  . 
Are  all  Americans  like  you  ?  " 

"  They  all  play  the  game  in  Kentucky,"  snapped 
Jarvis. 

"  And  I  thought  all  Americans  were  fools." 
He  crossed  to  the  door.  "I  think,  my  dear 
Maria,  that  for  the  sake  of  the  family  name  it 
would  do  my  health  good  to  take  a  trip  to  Monte 
Carlo  and  the  Riviera — even  Egypt  might  help. 
Mr.  Warren,  take  her  advice  and  return  to  Ken- 
tucky." 

He  walked  up  the  steps  and  smiled  back  with 
his  cynical  appreciation  of  the  situation,  a  me- 
diaeval sport  to  the  end,  as  Jarvis  realized. 

"Hey,  Rusty,  you  just  follow  that  Duke  as 
well  as  you  did  me.  See  him  out  of  the  castle 
and  on  his  way  rejoicing.  And  don't  let  your 
finger  slip  on  that  revolver." 

"  Yassir — wid  pleasure,  sir." 


280  THE  GHOST  BREAKER 

The  footsteps  died  away,  and  Jarvis  looked  at 
the  Princess. 

She  smiled  back  at  him. 

"  What  kind  of  a  place  is  Kentucky?  " 

"  God's  country,  lady.  .  .  .  Must  I  go  back 
alone,  your  Highness  ?  " 

She  put  her  hands  upon  the  tired  shoulders,  and 
looked  up  with  the  ineffable  look  which  passeth 
all  understanding,  except  between  the  one  man 
and  the  one  woman.  She  held  her  lips  up  to  him ! 

"  Warren — don't  call  me  Highness !  .  .  .  my 
name  is  Maria !  " 


THE  END 


